The Wanderer and the Lion
by Silverwing2012
Summary: The Capital Wasteland was more dangerous than Leyah realized. Hope seems to come in the form of Maverick Barrington, who is a grouchy wastelander with a chip on his shoulder. Can they get through whatever the Wasteland has in store for them? (Fem!Lone Wanderer/OC)
1. Chapter 1

Loud gunshots rang out over the expanse of the barren plain.

Heavy panting and the light footfall of boots sounded out right after them.

Silver furrowed her brow and glanced out her window as a light blue blur zipped by. She almost dropped to the ground when three Raiders were right behind it. Silver snuck out of her door and hurried toward the third house down the street in the ruined town of Springvale. She raised her fist to knock on the door, but it opened before she even got the chance.

"Not even ten in the fucking morning and Raiders are already pissing on my doorstep!"

Silver dodged out of the way before she could get run over by her tall neighbor, trying to make sense of what was happening in front of her. A young woman was running down the street and three Raiders were chasing her and her neighbor was now right behind them. She never imagined that one of her mornings would have started like this.

* * *

Meanwhile, the 19 year old girl was ducking her head and dodging the bullets hissing by her.

_Why did I think this was a good idea?! I should have just stayed out of Moriarty's business_, she screamed to herself as she squealed and ducked behind the corner of a house. Her heart felt as if it was going to burst out her chest as she gasped for air.

"I'm going to have me some nice, blonde, puss-"

The girl's eyes widened when the Raider's voice was cut off by a gunshot. She quickly aimed her pistol around the corner and was surprised to see the other raiders that were chasing her turning around to aim their guns at the newcomer.

The man didn't hesitate to raise his shotgun and shoot again.

Before she could comprehend what was going on, the men that were chasing her were all dead and she was the only one now. She stumbled out into the middle of the street and opened her mouth to thank the stranger.

The man glared at her and growled, "Duck."

She didn't hesitate to drop to the ground as he raised his shotgun again.

She covered her head as she heard the sickening thud of the buck hitting a body and the heavy thump that followed it. Looking over her shoulder, she gasped when she saw the body of another raider with a crowbar in his hands. She quickly flipped over and crab walked away from the body as fast as she could, breathing heavily. She stared at it wide eyed; trying to figure out what was going on.

"Who the fuck are you?"

The girl whipped her head around and looked up at her savior, suddenly feeling light headed. Her eyelids fluttered as she tried to keep them open and her body felt as if it was made from the heaviest metal.

"Hey, are you okay?" the man asked.

The girl's vision started to blur and she swore she saw three men standing in front of her now. "No," she managed to gasp before her world went black.

* * *

Maverick cursed and quickly knelt down, catching the girl before she could fall to the ground. "Silver! Get some Med-X and shit out," he ordered, easily looping his arms underneath her knees and back, carrying her toward his home. He kicked his door open further and carefully ducked inside, setting her on his bed.

"I got some medicine. What's wrong with her?" Silver asked, handing him some Med-X and some RadAway.

Maverick didn't answer right away. Instead, he brought his knuckle to his chin as he studied the girl. She was sweating profusely and he knew her temperature was up just from holding her. His eyes roved over every part of her body, trying to find anything that could tell him what was wrong. He did a double take when he saw something bright pink near the girl's neck, right underneath her jaw.

Reaching forward, he pulled the collar of her jumpsuit down slightly and sighed when his suspicions were proven true. A light rash was starting to form on the girl's skin. "It's a Rad-cold. She must have taken on too much radiation recently," he grumbled, holding out his hand for the medicine.

Silver gave him an incredulous look. "How can you tell? Last I checked, you weren't no doctor."

Maverick sighed and pushed up the girl's jumpsuit sleeve. He injected the RadAway into her arm. "She should be fine with a few days rest and medicine. I'll look after her, Silver. Just make sure no more damn Raiders are nearby."

Silver rolled her eyes, heading toward the door. "Sure thing."

Soon, Maverick was left alone with the girl. He tilted his head, running his fingers through his hair as he studied her. He wouldn't call her tiny, just short. She only looked feeble because of the cold at the moment. He could tell she was strong when he held her. The delicate features on her face didn't match that strength at all. A lock of sandy blonde hair had pulled itself out of her ponytail and was now curled on her cheek.

No wonder Raiders were after her; she was blonde, pretty, and looked like she could put up a fight. Those fuckers liked that for some damn reason.

Maverick grumbled some curses and pulled a chair away from his table, setting it down next to the bed. He sat down and got to work on cleaning his shotgun.

One day, he was going to deny someone help, but that day was not today.

* * *

When Leyah opened her eyes, everything was dark. She tried to sit up, but her body was just too weak. She turned her head to the side and fear instantly gripped her when she saw a tall and large silhouette sitting next to the bed. Where was she? Who was this man sitting next to her bed? Why was she so weak? Was she drugged? What was happening?

She started to mildly thrash, trying to gain the momentum to pull herself out of the bed.

Unfortunately, the man was awake.

"Jesus, calm down." The heavy thud of his footsteps followed his words and the girl squinted when a dim light was turned on in the middle of the room.

"You have a Rad-cold. Kids usually get them because their bodies aren't used to the radiation yet. But, if you actually are from the Vault, it's not really a surprise you got it either." He sat backwards on the chair next to the bed, resting his forearms on the backrest. "Now, you're going to tell me who you are and why the hell you're not in the Vault."

Leyah eyed him suspiciously, but she didn't have the energy to be worried anymore. She spent it all trying to get out of the bed. "My name is Leyah Hunter. I was…forced to leave the Vault."

The man stared at her for some time and Leyah was starting to feel uncomfortable. Great, she just had to end up in a weirdo's house with a Rad-cold.

"Why were you forced to leave?" he finally asked.

Leyah sighed. Oh well, maybe this guy could actually help her. "I was forced out because my dad left the Vault. Now, I have no idea where he is and the only lead I have is to Moriarty in Megaton and he won't tell me jack squat unless I pay him or something."

The man tilted his head back with a bark of laughter. "Well, no shit! He doesn't tell anyone anything for free and he's a grade-A bastard." He paused and ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm Maverick, by the way. Sorry to scare you, I can only imagine how the wasteland has been treating someone as new as you."

Leyah rolled her eyes. "Oh, just great. These past couple days have been a blast!" she huffed. Her irritated outburst earned her a rush of dizziness.

"I bet it's been a fuckin' joyride," he sarcastically replied, standing up.

Leyah rested her head back on the pillow and studied her 'savior'. He was tall; taller than any man she'd ever seen. She was guessing he had to at least be 6'7". A light grey shirt clung tightly to his broad shoulders and Leyah wondered just how strong this guy was. His unruly, top cut chestnut hair stuck up a little in the front, probably from running his fingers through it. He faced the counter on the other side of the house and she could see his profile clearly now.

His rugged features seemed to fit everything else about him; from the high cheekbones, strong jawline, and to the firm set of his mouth. It was all angular and strong. He seemed to be in his late 20s or early 30s so she knew he trumped her in experience too.

Leyah knew from one glance that she wouldn't stand a chance if she wanted to escape.

Everything about the man screamed 'deadly'.

He poured something from a box into a cracked bowl and walked back over to her. "Here. Sugar Bombs aren't the best, but you need to eat."

Leyah tentatively took the bowl from his hand and peered inside. She picked up a piece of the cereal and popped it into her mouth. It wasn't too stale, and it actually tasted okay. And, luckily, she wasn't nauseous.

"So, what's your dad's name? He might have passed through here," Maverick asked after she popped a few more pieces in her mouth. He resumed his previous positon on the chair.

"James," Leyah said around a mouthful of cereal, "Doctor James Hunter."

Maverick stiffened and Leyah inched away from him and toward the wall on the bed. Crap, what if she ran into someone who didn't like her dad?

"Shorter? Dark hair? Heavy accent?"

Leyah scooted closer to him again. "Yes! That's him."

Rubbing the back of his head, Maverick gave her a broad grin. She was shocked to see how a simple grin could make him to look less terrifying. "I actually met him a long time ago. I didn't know he went into a vault…or that he had a daughter."

Leyah popped another piece of cereal into her mouth. So, that sleaze Moriarty wasn't lying to her. She was incredulous about her dad not being from the Vault…but it seemed like the fact was slowly being confirmed. "How did you know him?"

Maverick's brow furrowed and Leyah instantly regretted asking the question. She didn't want to upset this guy while she was so weak. "He…Shit, let's just say he did me a favor I'll never be able to pay back."

"What did he do?"

"That's for me to know, and you to not worry about," he retorted, resting his chin on his arms. "So, what are you planning to do?"

"Why do you care?" Leyah quipped, trying to sit up a little.

"Well, you obviously don't know what the fuck you're doing out there. And, you've been out for five days."

She almost dropped her bowl. "What?" she yelped, staring at him wide eyed.

"You. Have," Maverick said slowly, like he was talking to a toddler. "Been. Out. For. Five. Days."

The hand motions he did with every word only added to the sarcasm.

"I have to go! I can't just sit here, my dad-ugh." Leyah flopped back down on the bed as another wave of dizziness overcame her.

Maverick sighed and leaned forward, causing the chair he was sitting on to tip on its back two legs. "Look Vaultie, you don't stand a chance out there right now. I doubt you would if you were healthy too. So, I'm going to make you a deal."

Leyah's brows pinched as she glared up at him. "Oh really?"

"I can teach you how to survive out here. Then you can be on your merry way."

Leyah let out an incredulous laugh. "Oh? You'll teach me? I'm already a week behind my dad, what makes you think I want to wait any longer?"

Maverick snorted at the comment, pulling out a cigarette. "Vaultie, you're never going to find your dad if you become Super Mutant food. And I heard the Raiders like blondes more than anything else. Not to mention the slavers. Also, did I forget to mention the Mirelurks and the Deathclaws that would gladly make you their fucking snack?"

Leyah's eyes narrowed. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. She would never find her dad if she was dead. But, what did this guy want in return?

"You never said what you wanted in return…"

With an even stare, Maverick took out his cigarette. "Consider this as a payment for what your dad did."

"I can't waste any more time! By the time you teach me stuff, it could become impossible to find him." Leyah took a shuddering breath as she became dizzy again.

Maverick huffed. "No one can efficiently hide forever. I know that from experience. You'll find him," he stood up, "So, shut up and get some rest."

Leyah didn't get to argue before he turned off the light and she saw his silhouette move to a different part of the house.

The wave of dizziness from earlier caused her to lie down again, huffing.

This guy was weird, but she had no other choice but to trust him right now.

* * *

"So what is a Deathclaw anyway? Sounds like something from a bad Pre-war holotape."

Maverick held back a groan behind grit teeth. He believed in hands on experience being the best teacher, but he was regretting it at the moment. The girl, Leyah, wouldn't shut up. He was surprised there wasn't any radscorpions or anything worse on their asses at the moment.

"Vaultie, what part of 'you have to be quiet in the wasteland' do you not understand?" he snapped, glaring at her over his shoulder.

The girl halted in her tracks and stuck her lip out in an angry pout, slinging the rifle he gave her over her shoulder. "You said to ask questions when I had them."

"Yeah, when we're in the safety of my yard, not in the middle of fucking nowhere," he retorted, continuing on his way.

He heard her grumble something but she eventually followed along. Maverick finally saw their destination. The Scrapyard may look like junk, but he found more parts and things worthy of trading with every trip he took there.

A faint 'beep' caused him to turn and glare at Vaultie. She held up her hands with a smirk. "I'm just updating my map. Did that make too much noise, Oh Great One?"

_Just fucking perfect, I'm dealing with a brat._

Maverick rolled his eyes and opened the gate to the scrapyard. "Don't push your luck, Vaultie."

For the next couple hours, he went through every part of the scrapyard and showed her the important things she could trade or use and how some things could easily be used to fix guns. And, he had to give it to her, she was a quick learner.

She was already fixing up the rifle by the time he was done showing her what a medical brace could be used for.

"Alright, let's head back. Try not to make scavenging trips too long, that just opens more opportunities for something to kill you and you could use up more supplies than you're finding."

Vaultie nodded and slung the rifle over her shoulder again with a salute. "Gotcha."

They got back to Springvale with no trouble, to Maverick's surprise, and he immediately led her to his 'back yard'. It wasn't much. It was basically a large empty space with the various targets and practice dummies he used.

"Alright, let's see how good you are with a gun," he pointed to the various targets, "Have at it, Vaultie."

Vaultie stuck her lip out again as her brow furrowed. "The name is Leyah, and I happen to be a good shot. I shot radroaches all the time in the Vault," she retorted, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder as she stepped forward with the assault rifle.

Before Maverick could give her his own sarcastic reply, she had already raised the gun and started shooting. His eyes widened when she hit all of the targets but one. He looked up at the target she missed on the windmill about 60 feet away and then looked back at her.

"Not bad."

Maybe she wasn't a lost cause after all.

* * *

Leyah had never been this sore and worn out in her life.

But hell, it was worth it.

After a couple short weeks, Leyah now knew how to disarm mines, use and repair every type of gun, the basic survival skills, and how to kick ass.

Maverick was adamant about showing her how to defend herself, and she wasn't complaining. After some of the looks she got from some of the men in Megaton, she was open to anything.

Maverick didn't turn out to be half bad in the end. Yes, he was grumpy and sarcastic, but Leyah learned to see the hidden meaning behind his acerbic words. Whenever he chastised her and gave her a smart remark, Leyah realized it was his own way of making sure she got the message.

And, surprisingly, he was hilarious.

Leyah found herself spitting Nuka-cola out more than once at their meals…like now. "You actually did that?!" she wheezed, wiping Nuka-cola off her chin.

"I never claimed to be smart when I was younger."

"But why?!"

"Look, the moral of the story is to never see if a Super Mutant has a dick or not."

Leyah threw her head back as she let out another laugh. "Why did you even want to look?"

Maverick shrugged as he took a swig of his beer. "Because I was 15, stupid, and someone dared me to."

"Who?!"

Maverick's amused grin slowly fell as he set down his beer. "My sister. Be glad you're an only child, Vaultie."

Perching her chin on her palm, Leyah gave him a smug grin. "Oh? So you let your sister bully you? That's news."

With an eye roll, Maverick stood and walked over to his refrigerator. "Whatever."

Leyah tilted her had a little as she studied him for a moment. "Tell me more about your sister."

Maverick barked out a laugh. "Nice try, Vaultie."

Leyah sighed and frowned at him, furrowing her brow. Maverick had a few rules; one of them was 'no personal questions'.

"Oh come on! I told you all about my life!" she whined, resting her arms on the table.

Maverick set another Nuka-Cola down next to her and shrugged. "That's your own damn fault."

Leyah puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. She answered every question he had about the Vault and her friends. Well, former friends. "Why are you so closed off? It's dumb."

"No, it's smart," he growled, popping the cap off of his beer.

"No, it's just easier to be crabby and a hermit," she quipped, gently nudging her Nuka-Cola away from her. She suddenly wasn't thirsty.

Maverick's thick brows furrowed as he set his beer down. "Are you implying something Vaultie?"

"Yes," she brazenly replied, sitting up and crossing her arms. For some reason, she wasn't intimidated by him anymore.

He sighed heavily through his nose. "Okay, fine. The only thing you'll ever know about my sister is that she's my best friend. Happy?"

"No," Leyah retorted. Well, she did feel a little happy. She got that much out of him at least. "Where is she now? Why don't you see her? Did she die?"

Maverick's mouth set in a thin, angry line as he grumbled and set his beer down on the table. "Good night, Vaultie," he snapped, stomping toward his room.

Leyah flinched as the door slammed shut and she stared down at the half empty beer can.

She rested her chin on the table, wondering how she managed to screw everything up no matter where she went.

* * *

"You can leave now."

Leyah looked up from her rifle in confusion. They were sitting on Maverick's front porch and it was early in the morning. Well, she was sitting in a chair, cleaning her rifle while he leaned on the side, smoking a cigarette.

"What?"

"Jesus, do they not teach you English in the vaults? You can leave now. You pass. Good luck."

Leyah furrowed her brow as her stomach dropped to the ground. Irritation bubbled up momentarily as she realized what was happening. That jerk, kicking me out after I asked too many questions.

The irritation quickly left when she thought about why she even stayed there in the first place. Her dad. But, go out on her own? She knew she would have to eventually. That didn't mean she had to like the fact.

Her heart started to feel heavy for a different reason. She honestly didn't want to say goodbye to Maverick.

When it seemed like her life was tumbling down around her, Maverick was the one who set her straight and gave her the backbone to move on when no one else was willing to. He became one of her few friends out in the Wasteland and she didn't want to leave him alone, even if he didn't think the same way.

He always seemed so lonely and sad when he thought she wasn't looking at him, and it broke her heart to see a man who was so willing to help others be that way.

Instead of saying all these things, the only thing she could croak out was, "Okay."

He helped her pack, giving her some of his own supplies and giving her some last minute tips. "Remember to always check your ammo and stimpak supply. You can get through any type of shit with those. Also, always make sure you have a few nonperishables at all times."

Leyah nodded as she watched him stuff the random supplies in the bag. When he finally stood up and gestured toward the door. She reluctantly stepped forward, carrying the pack.

She pushed the bag's straps over her shoulders and then slung her rifle on after them. Mustering up her courage, she stopped at the doorway and turned to him. He must have not expected her to stop because he almost ran into her.

Leyah's eyes widened when she found herself staring at his chest. She craned her neck to look up at him, meeting his hard gaze. She was surprised to see that his eyes were a mixture of blue and green, not one certain color.

He stared down at her, arching a brow. "What?"

Biting her lip, she reached out and wrapped her arms around his torso. "Thank you, for everything," she mumbled, burying her face into the front of his shirt.

Her heart started to flutter when he gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He finally pushed her away. "Good luck, Vaultie. Tell your dad that Maverick Barrington said 'Hi'."

Leyah slowly nodded, hitching her rifle up a little higher on her shoulder before finally walking out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Maverick knew he was going insane.

He couldn't stop worrying about her. Did she make it to Megaton okay? Is she going to do something stupid and naïve? Will she actually fucking find James? Is she still _alive_ even?

He pondered these questions, even two weeks after she left, as he ground his teeth on his cigarette, leaning against his front door. He had put it in his mouth, intending to light it, but Vaultie kept showing up in his mind and he accidentally bit down through it in his frustration.

"Jesus, you're eating cigs now?"

Maverick quickly spat out the cigarette and glared at Silver. His neighbor had her arms crossed under her generous chest and she was tapping her foot with an irritated look pointed towards him.

"Why do you care?" he snapped, looking at the ruined house across the street.

Silver scoffed and stepped onto his porch, leaning back next to him. "I've never seen you this high strung before. What's going on?"

Maverick glared at her before looking at the house across the street again.

"It's Leyah, isn't it? I liked her too. She was nicer than you and she actually seemed to give a damn when she talked to us, unlike those other strays you take in."

_Yes, she did_, Maverick thought, thinking about how she kept trying to get to know him. Maverick avoided situations like that for many reasons. Vaultie did genuinely care about people though, and that could either get her killed or worse.

"Yeah, and it was annoying. She'll probably die if she keeps that shit up," he grumbled, tossing the rest of his ruined cigarette away. For some reason he could not pinpoint exactly, his stomach rolled uncomfortably at the idea of Vaultie lying dead on the ground somewhere.

Silver scrunched her nose up in annoyance. "Christ Maverick, just go to Megaton and see how she's doing if you're so worried."

Maverick stiffened at the thought. Go to Megaton? Well…he did have some stuff he could sell to the various shop owners there- No!

"You're fucking crazy," he snorted, turning to go back inside.

"God damn, Leyah was right. You do push people away," Silver quipped, turning on her heel back toward her house.

Maverick sighed angrily, glaring up at the top of his porch. _No, I can't let it happen again._

The last time he was close to people, they only got hurt and he suffered for it. But, the girl was naïve. And a do-gooder. That was never a good combination for survival.

He also recalled the last thing he said before she left. _'__Tell your Dad I said 'Hi'.' You're so fucking lame, Maverick_ he growled to himself. He thought about what James did for his sister, Rachel, many years ago, and how the scientist's actions saved her life.

Thinking back on it, he never got the chance to tell the scientist how grateful he was back then. And Vaultie's do-good ways reminded him of his sister in an almost painful way. If Leyah died, that almost seemed like Rachel was dead too.

An idea stuck in his mind and he finally made the decision. He was going to find Vaultie and he was going to help her find James whether she liked it or not. Rachel would have wanted him to do that.

He let out a low growl of frustration as he stomped inside and started shoving various things he scavenged in a bag.

Thank Christ Megaton wasn't that far away.

* * *

And it was still the piece of shit Maverick recalled it being. His lip curled at the sheets of metal that were responsible for its shitty appearance.

"Vaultie, you better not be dead," he growled under his breath, walking through the main gate. Maverick looked around and stared at the bomb at the bottom on the hill. There weren't many things that made Maverick uneasy in this world, but that bomb was one of the few things that did.

"Well well, if it isn't Maverick," a deep voice declared.

Maverick looked away from the bomb toward the owner of the voice, mouth turning up into a smirk. "Hello Sheriff, or is it Mayor right now?"

Simms was one of the few people that didn't piss Maverick off in this town; seeing him helped him calm down…barely.

"Sheriff at the moment. Did you hear the good news?" Simms asked, smiling broadly.

"Good news exists? I've gotta hear this," Maverick snorted. What the hell could Simms possibly have that's good?

"That bomb down there is disarmed. Some little vault girl marched right in and disarmed it about a week ago."

Maverick's heart leapt at the mention of a 'vault girl'. "What vault girl?"

Simms scratched under his hat. "Well, she walked in about a month ago asking about her Dad…I think she had just stumbled from the vault then. She went up to Moriarty's. I warned her about him but she didn't listen and-"

"That's a nice story," Maverick interrupted, "but where is she now?"

Simms narrowed his eyes at the taller man. "Now why would you want to know? If I recall, you can't stand people. She's a resident here now and I don't want you causing any trouble with her."

Maverick rolled his eyes. "Lucas, who do you think taught her how to disarm a damn bomb in the first place?" _Jesus Vaultie, what have you been up to?_

"I thought that was you. She said she learned some tricks from a crabby man in Springvale. Fits you perfectly, now doesn't it?" Simms frowned. "Hold on, are you telling me you knew how to disarm a nuclear bomb?"

"Jesus Christ, no. I stay away from those things. I only taught her about mines and traps."

"She's either really lucky or really smart then because that thing is not a problem now."

Maverick wanted to shake the man. While he was happy and a little proud of Vaultie for disarming the damn thing, he wanted to know where she was. "Where is Leyah?" he asked. The sooner he found her, the sooner he could help her find her dad and he could finally say what he wanted to say to him.

"I saw her walking up to Moira's earlier. You might want to ask her."

Oh great, now he had to talk to one of the many people that did piss him off.

"Thanks Lucas," he said, reluctantly making his way toward Moira's shop.

"It's about time one of your strays wiggled under your skin," Simms chuckled, walking away.

Maverick glared at the man over his shoulder. Sure, he helped a lot of people in the past. Teaching them how to shoot and take care of a gun, what was and what wasn't poisonous. All that jazz. Vaultie though…she stuck around the longest out of all the strays he took in. He taught her things he didn't even bother teaching the others.

Shaking the thought out of his head, he quickly started to make his way toward the store again.

Maverick instantly felt pissed when he saw a man glaring at him right away. He curled his lip at the asshole and walked over to the counter, where Moira was fiddling around with what looked like a stick with some green crap on the end.

The red-head looked up from her work with a beaming smile. "Well whataya know! It's one of my favorite customers. What do you have for me this time, Maverick?"

Maverick quickly did his business with her, making sure to get some stimpaks and ammo before asking the billion cap question. "Did a girl wearing a vault jumpsuit stop by here recently?" he asked, counting his remaining caps before sticking them into his pouch. He would have to wrap them later.

"Oh! You mean Leyah? She's the greatest! She agreed to help me with my book. Isn't that fantastic? I-"

"Moira!"

"Yes?"

Maverick pinched the bridge of his nose. This was why she pissed him off. "Look, I know how she is. She goes out of her way for people. Now, where is she now? Do you know?"

Moira gave him a blank stare before smirking at him. "You're the one that gave her the rifle, aren't you? I always enjoy seeing your strays come in here."

"Moira," Maverick warned, giving her a hard look.

"Oh right! You're looking for her. Well, I saw her head towards the bar earlier. I think she and Gob have become good friends. He might know where she is."

"Thank you," Maverick sighed. Jesus, that took forever.

If Maverick remembered Megaton being a piece of shit, Moriarty's bar was no exception and it won the fucking award.

Maverick looked around as he walked in, feeling frustrated when he didn't see the familiar blonde ponytail anywhere. He walked up to the bar and sat down. Buying a drink always led to information here.

"Wow, long time no see Maverick," Gob's gravelly voice exclaimed.

Maverick met the ghoul's eyes and nodded. "You too. Being treated like shit still?"

Gob sighed and set a glass of vodka in front of him. "Nothing's changed since your last visit."

"Gob, remember that little piece of advice I gave you a little while back? Use it," Maverick retorted, taking a swig of the vodka and setting some caps down on the table.

Gob's eyes widened and he vigorously shook his head. "Oh no, I can't do that! I'll get run out of Megaton if I did! Not to mention that Moriarty has been in an extra bad mood lately so I wouldn't have a chance."

Maverick perked up at that. Moriarty was usually in a bad mood when he was drunk or if he got cheated out of some money. "And why's that?"

"A girl from the Vault-she's really nice but I was surprised to hear this- she told Moriarty that she took care of Silver in Springvale a couple weeks ago and paid him caps for info. Apparently she lied and Silver is alive."

No shit, Maverick thought, holding back a satisfied smirk. He knew Vaultie had a lot of spunk and she was the last thing from dumb. She must have played Moriarty like a fiddle if he was pissed off. "Where is she now, Gob?"

Gob narrowed his eyes. "You're not going to hurt her are ya?"

Maverick almost growled in frustration. "Now why would I want to do that Gob?"

Gob's eyes suddenly widened and his mouth dropped open. "She said she got that rifle from someone nearby! I forgot you helped people like that. Sorry, she mentioned something about running an errand for Moira before heading toward the Galaxy News Radio station this morning."

"What in the hell is she doing for Moria?" Maverick suddenly remembered something Moira mentioned earlier. "Don't tell me she's helping with that damn survival guide."

"Uh, yeah. I think she's heading toward the RobCo factory."

"Shit," Maverick cursed, setting his glass down. Getting up, he tossed about 20 caps to the ghoul. "Thanks Gob, you just helped me out big time. I'll remember this."

Gob stared at the extra caps in surprise. "Maverick, why do you always-"

"Because I know Moriarty pays you shit. Don't question it," Maverick argued, already walking toward the door. Unfortunately, his least favorite person in Megaton happened to be walking in right as he reached for the doorknob.

Colin Moriarty's thin lips instantly drew up into a smirk at the sight of Maverick. "Well now, if it isn't our favorite babysitter," he drawled, closing the door behind him.

Maverick was having none of it today. "Fuck off." He sidestepped the bar owner and reached for the door.

"Maverick, do you happen to know how Silver is doing? I sent someone out there about a month ago and I never got word."

Gritting his teeth, Maverick looked over his shoulder and he saw Gob waving his arms and shaking his head in an almost comical manner behind his boss' back. "Why do you want to know? So you can fuck her six ways to Sunday again?"

Moriarty's mouth turned down into a scowl. "Look, I know you know what's going on. You tell that Vault girl that she better watch her back from now on. She's getting off easy this time because she's James' kid."

That was it. The combination of being in Megaton in general, Moira's rambling, and Moriarty's shit caused Maverick's temper to finally boil over. He whipped around and grabbed Moriarty's collar before throwing him against the door. He pressed his forearm against the asshole's neck and leaned in close. "Let me make this clear so that your piss poor mind can fucking understand. Touch her. Do anything to hurt her, and I will rip you a new asshole myself. And you know I will," he threatened in as even of a tone he could manage.

Moriarty had met his gaze brazenly at first, but he quickly looked away when Maverick's glare didn't waver.

Maverick snorted in disgust and let the bar owner drop to a heap on the floor. He looked over his shoulder at Gob again and nodded with a small smile. He stepped over Moriarty and opened the door, giving the bar owner one last glare before finally stepping out the door.

* * *

Leyah's breath came out in nervous puffs as she peered over the large boulders she was hiding behind. She could see the large RobCo letters on the side of the building about 600 feet away. What kept her from walking right up to it was the large group of men standing in front of it. From the little pieces of armor Maverick had shown her, she could tell they were slavers.

The Vault dweller was slowly becoming impatient and was wondering when the men would leave. She wanted to get this errand for Moira done as quickly as possible so she could head toward the Galaxy News Radio station as soon as she could.

Those asshole slavers were making that goal impossible.

She stiffened when she heard a light crunch of a boot hitting gravel behind her. She readjusted her rifle in her grip, trying to act like she didn't hear. When she heard another crunch, she quickly pivoted around and raised the gun up, only to let out a light gasp of surprise.

Maverick held up his hands with a wry smirk. "Well, you got better at listening, I'll give you that."

Leyah rolled her eyes and brought her rifle down, hitting the safety button. "What the hell, Maverick? What are you doing here?"

The tall man shrugged and squatted down beside her, looking down at the group of slavers. "I was thinking about the debt I owe your dad, and I figured just teaching you some basics wasn't enough. I'm helping you find him. Now, what do you see down there?"

Leyah scowled at him. Okay, so he basically tossed her out on her ass saying 'Good luck' and now he wants to help her again? "So you're not going to get butt hurt if I ask questions this time?" she jabbed, turning back around. Now she remembered, she was supposed to be irritated with him.

In all honesty, she was glad he was there. During the couple weeks she spent learning from him, he proved to be a damn super soldier. But, her irritation told her to ignore that fact for now. "Don't think I'm not mad at you still just because you're here now. You basically kicked me out and-"

Maverick rolled his eyes. "Look Vaultie, I'll argue with you about this after we get done with whatever Moira wants you to do. Now, answer my damn question."

Leyah scoffed and gestured toward the factory. "There's a group of slavers down there, from what their weapons and armor looks like. I can't really tell how many or if they have slaves with them or not."

A tired sigh left Maverick's mouth. "Shit, we'll have to wait this one out. From what I can tell there's about 10 of them down there and we won't get out unscathed with that number. Unless," he paused and looked at her, "you have one of the other things that can solve any problem."

Leyah's eyes widened. She had a small pouch of frag grenades in her pack and she could immediately see what he was hinting at. "I do. But how do you want to do this? Should we climb on the roof and see what happens or-"

"No, the roof is too tall. It'll explode in the air if we tried."

"So what do we do?"

Maverick hummed in thought before his eyes widened and he pushed down on the top of her head. "Get down!" he whispered harshly, ducking down himself.

Leyah grunted in surprise and did what she was told, holding her breath in fear. She looked up and suddenly realized how close she was to him. In his haste to get her to duck, she somehow slipped underneath his arm and was now almost pressed up against his side. His eyes scanned the area behind them, narrowing as he checked the horizon for any other enemies. If she didn't realize how big he was compared to her then, she sure did now.

Her heart started to thud in fear as a cold sweat broke out on her skin.

Maverick slowly sat up straighter and peered over the rock again. "Fuck, they saw us. I'm going to get my rifle out. You cover me. Got it?"

Leyah's heart was threatening to burst out of her chest and her stomach rolled uncomfortably now. She didn't have to kill anyone these past two weeks. The occasional radscorpion and mole rat, yes. Humans; nope.

Maverick quickly reached into his pack and started to assemble a high powered rifle. Leyah stared in surprise when he had it ready in what seemed like seconds. He nodded at her and set up the gun. "Remember what I taught you. Then you can bug me with annoying questions all you fucking want."

For some reason, his sarcastic comment caused the anxiety she was feeling to calm down a bit and she nodded. She was determined to find her Dad. Picking on Maverick was just a plus. Before she could get turned around even, he was already aiming toward the couple scouts heading toward them.

Maverick shot and Leyah peered around the boulder to see the first scout fall. She brought her own assault rifle up and took aim, feeling queasy as she pulled the trigger. She flinched as she second scout fell with a shout. Her stomach twisted and she felt physically sick as she stared at the body.

"Here they come. Reload now," Maverick ordered calmly, doing just that.

His calm tone helped focus her mind and she quickly followed orders, easily slipping in a new set of bullets. The slavers were now taking cover behind boulders and cars themselves. Luckily, they didn't see where their first shots came from.

"I'm going to try to hit the gas tank on some of those cars. Keep gunning them down when they get too close."

_How is he so calm right now_? Leyah momentarily wondered. She wanted to run for the hills and get away from the slavers, not stick around and get shot. But, there he was, calmly and carefully aiming his sniper rifle and easily hitting his targets.

Shaking the thought out of her mind, she peered around the boulder again, lightly gasping when she saw a couple slavers start running toward them. _Just think of them as radroaches or something,_ she thought, feeling sick again. The idea didn't help her mentally, but it made pulling the trigger easier.

She yelped when the shrill sound of bullets hitting stone reached her ears and she quickly hid behind the boulder again. Well, at least she got the two slavers running toward them before she hid.

"Sit tight, Vaultie," Maverick suddenly growled, standing up straight.

"Are you nuts?!"

He shot and quickly ducked down again, reloading the rifle. "You might want to cover your ears," he said, standing up again.

Leyah opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but the sound of his gun and the explosion that immediately followed it beat her to the punch. She squeaked and covered her head when bits of debris and metal started to fall around them.

She slowly opened her eyes many moments later to see Maverick's smirk looking down at her. "Coast is clear, Vaultie."

They both cautiously stood up and slowly looked around. When it seemed that no more slavers were going to pop out of nowhere, they finally left their hiding spot.

Maverick's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the landscape again before grunting in satisfaction. "Well, that's about 10 pieces of shit gone from this world," he grumbled.

Leyah narrowed her own eyes at him and her irritation from earlier started to bubble up again. As he knelt down to begin to take the sniper rifle apart, she walked over and stood in front of him, crossing her arms with a huff. "Well, now that that's over, I can yell at you now. Seriously? What the hell are you doing here? You obviously stated that I didn't need your help anymore a couple weeks ago and I was doing just fine!"

"Until you got here."

Leyah rolled her eyes with a snort. "Oh please, I was going to wait them out and I would have been fine. Why do you want to help again in the first place? Last I checked you wanted nothing to do with me anymore."

Maverick sighed and looked up at her with a hard stare. "Look, Vaultie, I don't care if you want my help or not. I've decided to make this personal. And, there's nothing you can do about it."

Rubbing her eyes in faint shock, she gasped. "President Eden, is that you? I didn't know you actually left the Enclave to boss people around," Leyah retorted, putting her hands on her hips.

Maverick stiffened and Leyah had to use all over her willpower to stand her ground as he stood up and towered over her. Craning her neck to look up at him, she made the best stink face she could. "You don't want my help? Fine. I'll just follow you and just sit and watch whenever you get your little ass in trouble, be my guest."

Leyah stuck her lip out in a pout and furrowed her brow. "I'm not mad that you want to help, idiot."

With a scoff, he stuffed his rifle into his pack. "Oh please. Don't tell me you want me to apologize or something."

Crossing her arms, Leyah began to tap her foot in impatience, frowning at him.

"You're fucking serious, aren't you?"

"Very. Now, just admit that you threw me out and we'll call it good."

He stared at her in disbelief before letting out a guffaw. "Nice try, Vaultie."

Leyah's mouth pinched into a hard line as she stared at him in disbelief. He started to walk away and she took that opportunity to get through to him the only way she knew how. She hooked her foot around his ankle and pulled, effectively causing him to lose his balance.

He cursed and did what she knew he would do. He instantly recovered and got in a fighting stance. "What the fuck?!"

"You won't listen to words! I'm doing the only other thing I can," she snapped.

"Good luck. I know all your tricks."

It was true, so she took his very first lesson to heart. Strike first; strike hard. Leyah sighed and tried to relax, getting out of her fighting stance.

"That's what I thought," he snorted, moving to turn away.

Leyah instantly reared her arm back and couldn't help but feel satisfied when her punch successfully connected with his jaw. She didn't hesitate to land a jab to his ribs before shoving him over. Before he could recover and get up, she pulled out her pistol and aimed it at him.

They glared at each other for many moments before Leyah scoffed and said, "That's what I thought."

She holstered her pistol and started to stomp toward RobCo, not even bothering to look back.

* * *

_What the actual fuck?_ Maverick cursed to himself.

It had been years, literally years, since someone handed his ass to him like that. He quickly got up and growled in frustration. She wanted an apology? He'll give her a fucking apology.

"Vaultie, wait!"

The damn girl just kept walking and he grit his teeth, picking up his pace. "Leyah," he said, grabbing her shoulder and turning her around.

"What?!" she seethed, glaring up at him.

Maverick met her gaze and he sighed. "Look, we can argue about this all we want, but have you ever considered that I don't get personal because-" He paused and looked up at the sky, taking a deep breath. "I don't get personal because talking about my past hurts. It always will. That's why I kicked you out and I'm sorry. Can we get going now?"

He looked away, avoiding her eyes as he walked toward the entrance to the factory.

"Why didn't you just say so?"

He paused and looked at her over his shoulder. Vaultie rolled her eyes with an amused grin. "Jeez Mav, if you just told me that it hurts to talk about it, I would have shut up. I'm not stupid."

"Don't call me Mav," Maverick growled. Only his sister got to call him that and get away with it.

Vaultie caught up to him and started to walk by his side. "I mean, yeah I wanted to know more about you but I thought you were just being stubborn. I would have completely understood if-"

Maverick eventually tuned her out as she kept rambling on. He looked down at her, wondering why he wasn't getting annoyed like he usually would. _Something's wrong with me_, he mused, finally telling her to shut up.

They reached the main entrance and they were both mildly surprised to find it unlocked. "Vaultie, what the fuck are you doing here anyway?" Maverick asked, peering around the edge of the doorway.

"Oh! Moira wanted to write a little about technology so she gave me this processor widget to connect to the mainframe. It shouldn't be too hard."

Maverick sighed and opened the door all the way. "Whatever, let's get this over with."

Vaultie nodded and held up her rifle, stepping inside. She scanned the room and slowly made her way forward, just like he taught her.

He knew she wasn't a lost cause.

* * *

Hacking the mainframe and actually connecting the widget was a little harder than Leyah thought it would be, but she didn't let that deter her. She was able to reset the robots orders to kill all the radroaches and mole rats though, which was a plus.

She turned away from the mainframe, feeling satisfied. It was short lived as Maverick grabbed her left arm and pulled her toward him. "Hey-"

"Quiet."

Leyah rolled her eyes as he examined her Pip-boy and looked at the time.

"Shit, it's that late already. We're not going anywhere tonight."

Leyah frowned and looked at the time herself with a groan. Making their way through the factory took longer than she expected. By the time they got back out again, it would be dark and Leyah learned the downsides of traveling at night during her first couple days in the wasteland.

Maverick suddenly poked her cheek and Leyah slapped his hand away in annoyance. She was also surprised that the little touch hurt a little. "What?!"

"You're sunburnt. I thought there were lights that mimicked the sun down in the Vaults," he stated, setting his pack down.

"Well, yeah, but they didn't cause sunburns," Leyah grumbled, tentatively touching her face.

She looked at Maverick and arched a brow when she saw him digging through his pack. "You know Vaultie, I'm starting to think all of the Vaults are big holes for crazy people after all you've told me. Well, at least the ones that are still functional are."

Setting her own pack down, she gave him a questioning look as she sat beside him. "What do you mean? How many Vaults are around here?"

Maverick waved the question off. "A lot. Trust me, you don't want to go in those. I made the mistake of trying to scav in one a little north of downtown a long time ago. Bad idea."

Leyah pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "What happened?"

He sighed, giving her a weary look. "It looked like a war-zone. I wouldn't be surprised if the other's looked the same."

Leyah stiffened with a quick inhale. "You mean…the people turned on each other?"

"Yeah, that's what I got from the carnage and holotapes."

With a shudder, Leyah wondered what could have happened if the people in 101 turned on each other. Sure, she fought her way out of the Vault, but she didn't kill anyone in the process. She couldn't imagine a full blown conflict down there.

Shaking the thoughts away, Leyah moved to help Maverick set up traps in front of the door and the hallway. After those were set, Maverick easily shoved a filing cabinet and a desk in front of the door after shutting it. She wondered what it must be like to have that strength as she watched him get them situated the way he wanted.

Leyah set out her bedroll and plopped down onto it, suddenly feeling all the weariness from today starting to settle in. "Get some sleep. It will be a trek to get to GNR tomorrow."

"Maverick?" she asked, lying down.

"What?"

"Is it okay if we stop by the Arlington Library before going further into the ruins? I have another errand to run for Moira there and it's on the way, right?"

Maverick gave her an even stare before grinning and letting out a snort of laughter. "Vaultie, I'm following you now. I go where you go," he said, laying down his own bedroll.

Leyah couldn't help but grin as she turned over.

She was happy he was there.


	3. Chapter 3

Maverick was still wondering why he said what he did the next day when they walked out into the pale morning light. _I go where you go? What are you, a fucking dog?_ he asked himself, keeping a little distance between him and Leyah. He made sure to keep watching the horizon, feeling tense. Yao guai were known to live around here and he be damned if he let one sneak up on them.

To give her credit, she also had her head on a swivel as she kept on her toes as well. He saw how pink her face was getting and he sighed and reached into the side pocket of his pack. Pulling out the hat, he glanced at it and then back at her before letting out a shrill whistle. "Vaultie."

Leyah turned and let out a gasp when the hat hit her face. She caught it before it could hit the ground and she stared at it.

Maverick kept walking. "It's to keep your sunburn from getting worse."

"Thanks Mav."

"Quit calling me that."

"I can call you what I want. We're friends now."

She caught up to him and Maverick gave her a hard look when she fell into step beside him. She returned his hard look with a soft grin, plopping the hat on her head. He stopped in his tracks and she stopped with him. They stared at each other for many moments before Maverick finally felt a grin creep up on his lips. "Friends, huh?"

"Yup. And there's nothing you can do about it."

Her grey-blue eyes held mirth in them as she gently punched his shoulder and kept walking, hitching her pack up higher as her pace picked up.

Maverick stared at her, wondering how the hell she could manage to be this happy after all that had happened to her. _How do you keep smiling?_

Deciding to ponder it another time, Maverick took his place behind her and kept moving.

Arlington library was just showing up on the horizon by the time the sun was high in the sky and Maverick was actually pleased with their progress. It wasn't even 11 o' clock and they were already halfway to their destination. If Leyah's errand didn't take too long, they could be at GNR before sundown.

His mood was also lightened because no Raiders had decided to ruin his day so far and the only things he and Leyah came across were the occasional radscorpion or mole rat.

Leyah's lip stuck out in a small pout as she stared up at the tall building. "So this is the library, huh? I hope the archives are easy to get to."

Maverick groaned. "Vaultie, don't say that."

"Why?"

"Because the opposite of what you say usually happens. Don't jinx us."

Leyah rolled her eyes and marched right up to the door. Maverick quickly stepped forward and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Let me go first. Raiders like buildings like this."

Thankfully, she just nodded and stepped back instead of arguing, taking her rifle off her shoulder.

Maverick slowly opened the door, shotgun in hand and peered inside. What he saw made him want to run for the hills. It was too late to turn back when one of the men in the power armor raised his laser rifle. "Halt! Who are you?"

_Fuck._

Maverick knew there was no point in running; there was most likely a patrol nearby so he raised his hands and kicked open the door the rest of the way. "Don't be a smartass. I'll talk," he growled out of the corner of his mouth.

"Who is it?"

"The Brotherhood of Steel. Now, be quiet!"

He stiffened when he felt her small hand grab at his shirt.

"Maverick, seriously I-"

"We'll get out of this if you let me talk. It's going to be okay." Their gazes met momentarily and she nodded, but her grip on his shirt tightened. A wave of protectiveness threatened to crush him as the action reminded him of when Rachel was younger and he was determined to get her out of this now. He doubted the Brotherhood even remembered him, but he was ready if need be.

They slowly walked forward and Maverick gave the Brotherhood of Steel Knight a hard glare. "Relax, we're just travelers looking for stuff to scavenge. Nothing more."

The Knight turned to the other Brotherhood members in the room. "It's just civilians. Stand down."

Maverick looked around the main room of the library and he stiffened. Most of the Brotherhood members in the room were not even Knights, they were Initiates. He could tell from the very way they stood and held their weapons. This was unacceptable.

Remembering that he had to keep his mouth shut and not make them angry, he stepped forward, following the Knight further into the room. Leyah's grip on his shirt only tightened and he wondered if she even knew who the Brotherhood was.

His whole body tensed when he saw a familiar face striding toward them from behind the desk.

"Maverick?" Amanda Yearling gestured to all of the soldiers in the room. "Stand down, he's more than a civilian."

She finally reached Maverick and he was shocked when she held out her hand. "It's good to see you again," she said, grinning up at him.

The Knight stepped forward. "Scribe Yearling we-"

"Quiet," she snapped, giving the Knight a hard look.

Maverick's eyes widened. "Scribe now, huh?"

"Yeah, and Rach is a Paladin."

Maverick's heart clenched at the sound of his sister's name. A small tug on his shirt suddenly reminded him that Leyah was standing right next to him.

_Shit._

"Mav, how do you know these people?"

Yearling gave her an incredulous look and Maverick wasn't quick enough to stop her from saying, "He used to be a Sentinel among our men. He led the Lyon's pride for years."

* * *

_

Leyah couldn't believe it. She knew Maverick had to have had formal training somewhere. She never expected it to be from the Brotherhood of Steel though. She didn't know much about the group, but she knew they had power in the wasteland. Looking up at him with wide eyes, she exclaimed, "I knew it! I knew you were hiding something!"

"Yippee Vaultie, you discovered my dark secret."

"You used to be part of the Brotherhood of Steel! It all makes sense now!"

Leyah was now waving her hands in excitement as a million questions started to spill out of her mouth. "Did you grow up with the Brotherhood or did you just join? What's the Lyon's Pride? Is Sentinel a really high rank? Is that why you know so much about-"

Maverick clamped a hand down on her mouth, leaning down to meet her at eye level. For some reason, her heart started to flutter at the contact. "I promise to answer some of those questions after we get your damn archives. Now shut up."

Scribe Yearling's gaze went from Maverick to Leyah and back to Maverick in disbelief as he pulled away. "Who is this Maverick?"

"I'm his friend," Leyah quickly said. Maverick seemed to not want her to know more for some reason. "Leyah Hunter."

She ignored Maverick's groan and smiled at the woman.

"How did you meet Maverick?"

"Well, I was being chased by Raiders and he saved me. I also had a Rad-Cold and-"

Maverick's heavy hand on her shoulder caused her to pause and look up at him. "Look, Amanda, long story short; I saved her ass and I'm helping her out with other stuff." He gave her a warning look and Leyah opened her mouth to retort, but his eyes hardened even more and Leyah rolled her eyes.

Scribe Yearling was looking at them with an amused look. "Alright, what brings you two to Arlington?"

"I'd ask you the same thing," Maverick answered, arching a brow.

Scribe Yearling then gave a long winded speech about how important Pre-war books were and how she was trying to find them. Leyah nodded and made positive noises when needed, but she was totally focused on something else. Why didn't Maverick tell her about the Brotherhood of Steel? And, the more important question kept rising up in her mind.

Why wasn't he with them anymore if he had such a high rank?

* * *

_

It took every ounce of Maverick's willpower to keep from looking at Leyah. He knew she was curious and he also knew she would never leave him alone until he did tell her.

Deciding to finally get away from the members of the Brotherhood, Maverick finally cut in. "Scribe Yearling, where are the card catalogs and the archive?"

Scribe Yearling tapped her chin with a sigh. "Well, the card catalog can be accessed at the terminal at the desk. The archives are on the third floor. But, there's one problem."

Maverick tensed up. "What problem?"

Scribe Yearling actually looked sheepish. "Well, there are a group of Raiders that took over the library. We only just recently liberated this part of the building."

Of course there were fucking Raiders.

He looked down at Leyah, who looked deep in thought now. "What do you say, Vaultie?"

Leyah's brow furrowed as she thought about it before letting out a sigh. "Well…I wanted those archives. I was going to make a copy of them for myself so I could have all that information to use later on."

Maverick's eyes widened momentarily. Holy fuck. He never thought about using the archives that way. Then again, he didn't have a –what did she call it?- Pip-Boy. He tapped her forearm. "You can get the archives on your doohickey here?"

"Of course."

Turning toward the Knight that greeted them in the first place, he asked, "What's the situation on the rest of the building?"

He gestured to Leyah and pointed toward the computer. She got the message and headed toward it for the card catalogs. Scribe Yearling followed behind.

The Knight scoffed. "I'm sorry, but I'm not allowed to tell that information to civilians. It's to keep you safe. I don't care if you were a Sentinel or not."

Maverick almost punched the tin man right in the face. "Look, Dick –can I call you Dick?- I don't have time for that bullshit. Either you tell me now or I'll just force one of your Initiates here to tell me instead. And let me tell you, that would be about as fun as dancing with a Centaur."

He stepped closer to the Knight. "Well?"

Maverick could tell the man was rolling his eyes behind his helmet when he finally answered. Maybe it was the amount of sarcasm that was rolling off him that gave it away.

"Even if you did get up to the second floor, there are small groups of Raiders hiding on each floor in each wing. The main wing is compromised as well."

"Give me numbers dammit, or do you even have those?"

"No, we don't have those."

"What type of Knight are you? Jesus Christ," Maverick snapped, walking toward the small group of Initiates standing near the entryway toward the back of the library. Maybe the kids knew more than their supervisor.

The clicking of many different sets of power armor standing to attention rang throughout the hall and Maverick stared at the group of kids incredulously as one of them saluted. "What the-"

"My name is Initiate Johnson sir and my father served with you," a slightly familiar voice said from the helmet.

Maverick blinked in surprise before narrowing his eyes at the Initiate in front of him. "Who's your dad?"

"Paladin Ryan Johnson, sir. He retired from the Lyon's Pride shortly after you were dismissed."

Even though his stomach was curdling at the mention of being 'dismissed', Maverick couldn't help but grin. Ryan Johnson was one of his closest friends in the Brotherhood. "Well Initiate Johnson, are you good at scouting? Your dad was the best damn scout I ever met."

"Yes, sir."

"I need your help then."

* * *

Leyah mentally cheered when the card catalog finally downloaded to her Pip-boy. Looking around the room, she finally found Maverick's tall frame standing near a bunch of Brotherhood men…or women. She couldn't really tell with all that armor.

Slowly making her way over, she pondered how to get Maverick to tell her his story. She knew it had to be painful for him, and she didn't want to upset him any more than he probably was. Biting her lip, she almost let out a sigh of defeat. She never was good at stuff like this.

"So is it true you were called the Lion of the Lyon's Pride?"

"My dad told me so much about you."

"Elder Lyons still mentions you sometimes you know."

Leyah halted in her tracks and tried to listen in on the conversation.

"Shit, they told you about the Lion thing? I thought it was fuckin' stupid to be honest," Maverick grumbled.

One of the soldiers in front of him nodded vigorously. "Yeah, my dad said it was your nickname because of how you led the Pride. He also said you had the makings of being the next Elder or something."

Maverick tilted his head back with a bark of laughter. "Your dad is full of crap, kid. I would have made the shittiest elder out there. As for the nickname bullshit, I never liked it and I better not hear you calling me that."

Leyah decided it was finally time to make her presence known with a sly grin. "Lion of the Lyon's Pride, huh? Maybe I can call you that instead of Mav," she joked, walking up to his side.

His hard look and frown was enough to make her giggle. For some reason, she thought it was funny when he was irritated now.

"Call me either and you'll really see how I think about that, Vaultie," he growled, looking toward the soldiers again. "By the way, we're in luck. These Initiates told us they would help us with our Raider problem. Think we can show them a thing or two?"

Leyah looked up at him with an incredulous look. "Are you sure? I'm sure we can wait it out until-"

"Vaultie, the Raiders are never going to leave because they know the Brotherhood wants this place and they love pissing people off. It's now or never."

Leyah sighed and looked at the Initiates. "Thank you for offering. I appreciate it," she said, forcing a smile to her face. She really didn't want to put anyone in danger.

Maverick grunted in approval and looked at the Initiates again. "Alright, so we're going to use the Red method. I hope they still teach you that in training."

* * *

_-

Maverick loved using the Red method. It usually involved drawing the enemy out into a trap and heavy firing from their side. The Initiates were surprisingly competent and they followed his orders to the T. He was actually surprised at himself for remembering how to be a leader of a group like this.

It has been eight years after all.

About 20 minutes after they left the main hall, they all found themselves on the third floor and Leyah was in the process of downloading and copying the archives. There were no casualties on their side and there was plenty to scavenge from the Raiders' supplies.

Maverick leaned on the wall next to the desk she was sitting at, watching the Initiates interact with each other on the other side of the room.

"Do you miss it?"

Maverick stared at Leyah for a moment before shrugging. Dammit, might as well get the tough questions out of the way. "It had its ups and downs. But, yeah, I miss it like hell."

She studied him for a moment before grinning. "I can tell. You're acting happier."

Maverick arched a brow at her before pulling a cigarette out of his pocket. "I'm never happy, Vaultie."

"You were when you talked to those guys," she mentioned, gesturing to the Initiates.

For once, Maverick had no smart retort for her. Instead, he let out a soft bark of laughter before lighting his cigarette. Blowing out some smoke, he turned to her again. "Why aren't you interrogating me about it right now?"

She shrugged and typed in more things on the terminal. "I decided I'd rather hear about it on your own terms."

Maverick wanted to call her out on her bullshit, but a feeling in his gut told him that she really meant what she said and he usually trusted his gut. He stared at her for a moment, wondering what to make of the Vault Dweller. _Maybe I was wrong about her_, he thought. He thought she would do her normal prying and persistently try to get something out of him like she did in the past.

"Thanks…Leyah."

She whipped her head around and stared up at him in surprise before a broad grin spread on her lips. "Hey, you called me Leyah."

"Yeah. So?"

"I knew it. You think we're friends too."

"Don't push it, Vaultie."

Her soft laugh was his only answer and Maverick was surprised to feel a warm feeling beginning to bloom in his chest because of the sound.

* * *

_

"Hey Vaultie, what Metro station gets us to Chevy Chase the fastest? I usually go to one up north but we don't have time for that."

Leyah grumbled as she scanned her Pip-boy map. A few of the settlers in Megaton were able to point out some metro entrances on her map, but that didn't mean they were accurate. "Well, there's the Farragut West station nearby. Moira told me to avoid that one though."

Maverick gave her an incredulous look. "Why?"

"She said feral ghouls were down there and I don't ever want to see one of those."

He gave her a blank stare for a moment, halting in his tracks before snickers started to escape from his lips. "I hate to tell you this, but it doesn't matter what part of the Metro you're in. You're going to see feral ghouls, Super Mutants, or some shit like that."

Leyah let out a groan, letting her shoulders sag a little. She had seen pictures people had drawn of feral ghouls, and Gob had explained the process a little when she had asked about it. She also wanted to avoid the Metros for one, particular big reason.

"Are you sure we can't get into the city without the Metro?"

Maverick gave her a look that said 'Seriously?'

"What?!"

"Vaultie, you're not telling me something."

"I just don't see the point if there is a better way."

Maverick halted in his tracks, putting his hands on his hips. Leyah could see him bite the inside of his cheek in irritation. "You went in a Metro alone, didn't you?"

Leyah shrugged sheepishly. After dealing with the fire ant problem in Grayditch, Leyah never wanted to see a metro tunnel or an ant ever again.

"Do you remember one of the first things I told you?"

Letting out a sigh, Leyah looked up to meet his hard, even gaze. "There is always going to be danger, the difference is whether you learn to face them head on or die in a piss puddle," she quoted, arching a brow. She crossed her arms before adding, "Eloquent as always."

"What would you have remembered better; the piss puddle or a long winded speech?"

Leyah opened her mouth to argue, but her voice died in her throat. She hated it when he was right.

Maverick snorted, resting his shot gun on his shoulder. He started to walk toward the Arlington metro entrance. "You gotta admit it, Vaultie. I know my shit."

Leyah pouted, jogging to catch up with his long strides. "Yeah, teaching all those Initiates and keeping Knights in check helped out a lot didn't it?"

"You're fucking hilarious."

They made it to the entrance and Leyah had to literally gulp down the lump that was forming in her throat to breathe. Fear seemed to be spreading throughout her chest like radiation and started to make her feel heavy.

Maverick gently elbowed her before making his way down the stairs. He paused halfway and looked up at her. "You coming or what? I thought you wanted to find your dad, not stand out here."

_Right, Dad. I need to find Dad. Get a grip!_

Leyah took a deep breath, remembering her and Maverick's run in with the Raiders at RobCo._Just focus on how calm he is. Just focus on him, Leyah._

She quickly went down the steps, zeroing her eyes on Maverick's broad back. The armor on his shoulders gleamed dully in the sunlight and the ammo belt he wore would occasionally click as they made their way down the steps.

Maverick stopped in his tracks at the grated entrance, turning around and looking down at her. Leyah looked up to meet his eyes, craning her neck. She had stopped right behind him and she could feel her cheeks flush from their close proximity. She could feel the heat radiating of his body and mentally slapped herself. It was just Maverick. Why was she reacting this way?

"Remember to always look the opposite direction I'm looking and try to stay as quiet as possible. Do you have plenty of mines?"

Leyah reached around and pulled the small sack she had out of her bag. "I don't have many," she mentioned, suddenly feeling incompetent. She also wondered why she was so afraid of his disapproval now.

"That's fine, we can work around that."

He turned again and opened the door. Cocking his shotgun, he grinned at her over his shoulder. "Let's kick ass, Vaultie."

It was funny how those words made her feel less scared.


	4. Chapter 4

Maverick let out a sigh of relief when he saw the Chevy Chase entrance up ahead. Leyah did better than he expected after seeing her so hesitant before. She even saved his ass when a feral ghoul managed to get the jump on them.

Even now, he was impressed with her impeccable aim.

He looked over his shoulder at her, frowning at what he saw. Her fingers were trembling and he saw that she had bitten her lip hard enough to draw blood. She looked pale even though she was a little sunburnt.

Without saying anything, he gently grabbed her elbow and tugged her toward the ticket booth nearby. After checking for traps, he stepped in and gestured to an old chair near the window. "Sit. What time is it?"

Leyah sat down and propped her rifle up against the wall of the booth. The faint green light of her Pip-Boy cast everything in its eerie glow. "It's a little past 5."

He looked out toward the metro tunnel with a nod, scanning the darkness for any movement.

"Say it."

Maverick glanced at her before looking back out at the tunnel. "Say what?"

"That I'm being silly for being scared."

Maverick looked up at the ceiling. He remembered his first time in a metro tunnel as an Initiate. It was the worst fucking day of his life. And he was with a whole squad and he wasn't that much younger than she was now. Leyah went in all on her own.

He decided to throw her a bone.

"Wanna know what scares the shit out of me, Vaultie?"

All he got in response was a heavy sigh and a sarcastic, "Nothing?"

_Talk about fucking impressions_, Maverick laughed in his head.

"I'm scared of Deathclaws. Those things are fucking unnatural. I saw them rip apart a man in power armor once. Oh, I'm also scared of heights. Thank Christ the Pride stayed on the ground where we damn belong. And the last thing…I'm going to let you take a stab at that one."

He looked over his shoulder to see her staring at him as if he grew a third arm. The light from her Pip-Boy cast a heavy shadow on her face. "Heights? Seriously?"

"Yeah, heights. They're fucking scary. Now take a guess or I'm just going to let the last one be a mystery."

Leyah shrugged. "Will you answer even if I don't?"

"That's a chance you're going to have to take now is it?"

He held her gaze for many moments.

"Fine, what's your last one?"

"I'm scared of losing people…that was my worst fear whenever I went out on a patrol or mission," he paused and looked out at the tunnel again. "I would look at the members of the squad or the Pride and wonder 'Who will make it back?' and it was terrifying."

"Why is that? Because you care about them?"

Maverick crossed his arms, leaning his shoulder against the entryway of the booth. "Yes…and the fact that people's lives were up to chance on those missions. Anything could have happened and I didn't like not knowing what would happen."

He heard the creak of the chair and her footsteps as she walked up to him. A soft touch on his arm caused him to look down at her. He glanced at her small hand on his arm before looking at her face again.

She didn't have the sympathetic look that he was expecting. Instead, he saw understanding and…admiration?

"I know where you're going with this. And thank you for caring in the first place."

"Where am I going with this, Leyah?" Her name felt foreign in his mouth, he still had to get used to saying it, but he liked it.

"You were going to say something along the lines of 'Everyone has their damn fears, and you have to fucking face them and blah blah blah'," she lowered the pitch of her voice to mimic his toward the end and Maverick couldn't hold back a grin. Ah, she knew him so well.

"Something like that…and that it's okay to be scared. I almost shit myself my first time in the metros."

Leyah gave him an unconvinced look. "Don't lie to me."

"I'm not. I was 15 and with a squad too. I used to be scared of feral ghouls."

For some reason, he was okay with telling her this shit. He hadn't been able to open up like this since he last saw his sister.

"Now you're blatantly lying."

Maverick shrugged. "Oh, so now you won't believe me when I'm spilling out the life secrets? I'm okay with that."

Their eyes met again and Maverick felt his heart start to thud in a way that he hadn't felt in years when she smiled up at him, gently curling her fingers into the fabric of his shirt. "Thanks, Mav. For telling me that stuff."

She thumped his shoulder before walking back to pick up her rifle. "Now, let's get out of here so we don't see what I'm scared of again."

Maverick barked out a laugh. "Oh honey, you haven't seen anything yet."

He didn't want to run into Super Mutants and Centaurs, but it was unavoidable at this part of the city. As slow as he could, he opened the entrance to Chevy Chase and he immediately felt tense. He knew the muties were nearby, he could hear their rumbling voices from where he and Leyah stood.

"Are those-"

Maverick quickly held up his hand, giving her a warning look with a nod. He cocked his shotgun and slowly crept up the stairs, staying as low as he could. Peering around the edge of the stairway entrance, Maverick cursed. Two Super Mutants were standing near a safety chamber not too far from the metro and they didn't look like they were going to move anytime soon.

"Fuck, there are two of them over there. And that usually means there's more around."

"So what do we do?"

Maverick opened his mouth to answer, but the distinct hiss of a laser rifle stopped the words in his mouth. The guttural shouts of the mutants and the sound of rifles immediately started after the lasers.

Peering around the corner again, Maverick narrowed his eyes, trying to find the source of the laser rifles. The muties were dead by then, but Maverick didn't want to take his chances. The last thing they needed was the Talon Company or Raiders jumping them.

"Stay close and watch my back. And for God's sake, don't be trigger happy and shoot my damn foot on accident."

"Since when have I been trigger happy, you jerk?!"

Maverick smirked. He was just happy that Leyah's spunk was slowly coming back.

He gestured forward and slowly crept out into the open. They silently made their way toward the jagged, concrete remains of a building. Taking a deep breath, Maverick listened closely, closing his eyes for a moment. He could hear the sound of metal hitting metal and what seemed to be four pairs of footsteps.

Leaning up against the corner, he glanced down at Leyah and held up two fingers. She nodded and quietly cocked her rifle.

The footsteps were coming closer to their corner and Maverick waited for the opportune moment. Finally, the steps were where he wanted them and he quickly whipped around the corner, pointing the barrel of his shotgun at the unlucky person who happened to be on the other end of it.

His eyes immediately saw the barrel of a laser rifle.

Flashing blue eyes widened and Maverick stiffened. _Of all the fucking people we had to run into_…

"Sentinel Lyons, we are secure," the tinny voice of another Knight said.

Sarah Lyons was exactly as Maverick remembered her. Fierce, angry, and to the point. She was only a Paladin when he was in charge of the Pride, and she was among the Pride's ranks when he was 'dismissed'. He knew she would be a good leader and he was honestly thrilled when he heard she had become the new leader of the Pride.

Now, though, she was the last person he wanted to run into.

"Maverick? What are you doing here?" she hissed, lowering her rifle.

"Gee, Sarah, good to see you too. I was going to say you were a fucking sight for sore eyes but I'm going to hold that in now," Maverick growled, lowering his shotgun.

Sarah huffed and stepped forward and Maverick stiffened as she gave him a huge hug. She stepped back again with a wry smirk. "That was for Rachel. She doesn't go outside the Citadel much anymore and she knew you were alive."

Maverick snorted. "Wow, you didn't think I could live on my own this long? Thanks for the vote of confidence, brat."

Sarah's mouth instantly turned down into a deep frown. "See, that's your problem, I almost think I can stand you for a second and then you say some shit like that."

"That's part of my charm, Sarah. I thought you knew this." Maverick paused and looked at Leyah, who was snickering as she leaned up against the wall. He frowned at her. "What's so funny, Vaultie?"

Leyah shrugged and stepped from behind the corner, resting her rifle on her shoulder. "I don't know. Maybe it's the fact that she doesn't put up with your shit either."

Sarah's brows furrowed. "Who is this?"

"I'm Leyah Hunter. Mav and I are trying to get to the GNR station."

Maverick elbowed Leyah. "What have I told you about calling me that?"

"We've discussed this. I can call you whatever I please."

Their gazes met and Maverick didn't feel the familiar irritation form from the nickname. Leyah smirked and Maverick rolled his eyes.

"As much as I would love to watch you and your girlfriend fight, Maverick. We have to get to GNR ourselves. Our men there need backup and we need to go now," Sarah snapped, turning on her heel.

Maverick felt his neck heat up. "She's not my girlfriend, brat!"

Sarah waved his outburst off. "Whatever. You coming or what?"

Grumbling, Maverick looked down at Leyah again. "Want to go with them? They're honestly our best allies against the muties."

"I'm okay with it. Is Rachel your sister?"

Maverick's eyes met hers again and he didn't see anything prying or demanding in her gaze. He saw an innocent curiosity he had not seen in years and he found it oddly endearing. "Yeah, she is," he answered softly.

He gestured his head toward where Sarah was walking and they slowly made their way along.

Maverick immediately saw many familiar faces as they approached the rest of the soldiers. Vargas was talking to what looked like an Initiate and the others, Glade and Kodiak, were waiting for orders.

"Holy shit, Maverick?! You're a sight for sore eyes," Kodiak laughed.

Maverick couldn't hold back a grin as he and Kodiak embraced. "Likewise," he chuckled.

Kodiak gestured toward Leyah. "Wow, you finally found a girl who's willing to put up with your cranky ass?"

"Why do you people assume she's my girlfriend?!" he snapped.

Leyah was covering her mouth and trying to hold back her snickers. Maverick could see tears pooling in her eyes from the effort.

Despite the irritation, Maverick felt lighter than he had in years.

It felt good to be with the Pride again.

* * *

Leyah was impressed with how the Lyon's Pride worked. Maverick had easily fit in with them and he knew all of their slang and Lyons even let him make some calls along the way. She felt a little irritated to see him working with the other woman so well, but that irritation was immediately swamped by the irritation she felt from being around Reddin.

That girl was an idiot.

Leyah had to help her Paladin teacher cover her ass multiple times on their way toward the GNR station. The girl was capable, but she was what Maverick called, 'an ammo wasting dumb-fuck'.

Many members of the Pride had clapped their hands on Maverick's shoulders and she immediately knew that these people were his old friends. It was strange to see the caustic, boorish loner fit in among them so easily.

"Shit, they have control of the school," one of the soldiers grumbled, reloading his rifle.

"We need to split up, that way we can take them out from all angles."

"No! We need to stay together. Or they will pick us off," Lyons argued firmly.

Leyah glanced up at Maverick and saw him roll his eyes with a sigh. "Sarah, Vaultie and I will take to the second floor and we'll take out as many as we can there. She has the accuracy and we'll help more up there so you guys can carry out your formations."

Everyone stared at him for a moment before Lyons nodded. "Alright, but don't get killed. I would hate to be the one telling Rach that you died here."

Maverick scoffed and cocked his shotgun. "Please," he grumbled, gesturing to Leyah.

Leyah jogged to catch up to him and followed him toward the outer edge of the elementary school. A set of stairs was revealed as they walked around a corner and Leyah stiffened when she heard a Super Mutant on the floor above start to shoot his rifle.

"Alright Vaultie, don't embarrass me. I'll shoot first and you cover me as I reload."

For some reason, his comment pissed her off. Why couldn't she go first? If he vouched for her so damn much, he should let her do that at least. "No, I'll go first. I can cause more damage at a distance with this more than your shotgun can."

Maverick frowned down at her. "Excuse me? I modified this shotgun myself. It'll be fine."

"At least admit that I'm a better shot than you. Let me go first."

"Fine! Whatever, go!"

Leyah smirked at the small victory and she slowly crawled up the stairs. A mutant was not even 20 feet away and she couldn't help but feel satisfied when she easily took it out with two shots to the head.

She leapt up onto the second floor and shot toward the next mutant she saw immediately. A bullet to the neck was all it took.

Maverick's shotgun blasted behind her and she quickly reloaded, getting ready to cover him. She squatted down and aimed toward the mutant that was behind the one Maverick was focused on. A heavy thud and a deep breath was her only warning that a mutant was behind her.

Leyah looked over her shoulder and gasped. A super mutant was heaving a sledge hammer above its head. Without thinking, Leyah somersaulted forward to dodge the swing. She quickly brought her rifle around and shot toward its head.

It groaned and Leyah squeaked when it started to fall backwards. She quickly scrambled away and got on her feet again. She didn't see any more on the second floor so she quickly took care of as many as she could on the first. They reached the opposite edge of the school and Leyah's breath caught in her throat. There were at least five Super Mutant Brutes down in the GNR Plaza and the Brotherhood of Steel members already there were outmatched.

The Pride finally made it to the Plaza and Leyah quickly hid behind a broken piece of wall to reload. Maverick hid beside her and reloaded his shotgun. "That wasn't so bad. Now let's show them how accurate we are."

We. Leyah liked the sound of 'we'.

After about 10 minutes of them switching on and off, the area was finally secure. Leyah felt winded, hungry, and now, exhausted. She felt proud of herself though. She made up for her cowardice in the Metro. The muties actually weren't as bad as she thought they would be.

She leaned up against the wall again with a deep breath, holding her rifle close. She could feel her hair stick to her neck from the sweat and the discomfort made her inwardly squirm.

Maverick gently nudged her. "Come on, they should be opening the doors when they make sure everything is clear. We can eat and catch a breather inside." He paused at the top of the stairs and looked back at her. "And…good job, Leyah. You were right earlier."

Leyah blinked in shock, dumbfounded that he even admitted it. He was surprising her way too much in one day. First with the Brotherhood of Steel news and then with calling her Leyah and being nice to her, it was more than she could process. That didn't mean she didn't like it though.

He gave her a small grin before walking down the stairs.

Shaking her head, Leyah sluggishly followed behind him and slung her rifle over her shoulder. They walked side by side through the plaza, eventually passing by Reddin and Paladin Vargas right as Reddin fired three shots into the air with a whoop.

Maverick halted in his tracks and Leyah stiffened. Oh no…

"What the fuck are you doing?" Maverick seethed, glaring at the Initiate.

"Celebrating," Reddin replied in a cocky tone.

Leyah didn't even try to stop Maverick from getting in her face and Paladin Vargas looked almost relieved.

"You. Fuckwit. You just wasted ammo and let every surviving mutie in the area know that we're. Now they're going to come here right away instead of finding this place by chance like they were supposed to." He shoved the girl hard enough to make her almost stumble in her power armor. "You're lucky I'm not in charge anymore or your life would have just become hell," he spat, walking away.

Leyah gave an apologetic glance toward Paladin Vargas before catching up to her angry friend. "That was a waste of ammo and Behemoths love loud noises. I can't even-" his words trailed off into a deep grumble as he stomped toward the GNR entrance.

"Speaking of ammo," Leyah said, hoping to get his mind off dumb Initiates, "want to see if we can find anything on these mutants? We could sell some of the shells later." She jerked her thumb toward the dead mutants, arching a brow.

Maverick halted in his tracks and turned around without a word and started to check the closest Super Mutant body.

Leyah held back the urge to smirk at him before checking the pockets of the nearest mutant. Right as she squatted down next to a body, a shadow loomed over her. She looked up and was surprised to see a Brotherhood soldier standing next to her.

He took off his helmet and a middle aged man with greying dark hair and smiling brown eyes greeted her. "I'm Paladin Glade," he greeted, holding out a hand.

Leyah tentatively took it. "Leyah Hunter."

Glade grinned and squatted down next to her, checking the pack on the mutant's back. "So how did you convince Maverick to let you travel with him?"

"That's funny, because it was the other way around."

"What?"

Leyah stood up, inspecting the bullets she found before moving on to the next body. "He showed me the ropes in Springvale and then I went on my own. He eventually found me and convinced me to let him come with me. I was happy he did."

"Holy shit, there's a first for everything."

Leyah couldn't help but laugh at the Paladin's disbelief. "I guess." She squatted down next to another mutant and bit her lip, glancing over at Maverick, who was on the other side of the plaza now. "Were you good friends with him?"

Glade perked up as if he was waiting for her to ask that question. "I've known him ever since we were Initiates. Hell, he and I helped Sarah found the Pride. It was all her idea you know, she was just too young and inexperienced to lead it at the time so Maverick took the job."

Leyah was now super curious and she couldn't resist the opportunity in front of her. "So you know how much of a pain he can be?"

Glade scoffed. "He's the biggest pain in the ass I've ever met."

"So," Leyah mused, standing up again. Forget scavenging, this was more interesting. "You probably have a lot of dirt on him that a poor girl like me can use eventually, right?"

Glade smirked. "Do I ever! What do you want to know?"

Leyah jerked a thumb in her friend's direction. "What's with everyone asking if I'm his girlfriend or not?"

Glade snickered. "Oh, that? Well, let's just say that the few girls that dated him were known to be seen fighting or arguing with him constantly. So, naturally when we saw you giving him shit…"

Leyah tried to ignore how hot her cheeks were getting. Her and Maverick? That was a funny concept. A little voice in her brain told her she was lying to herself and that she didn't think it was funny. She shook it away and tried to not think about it.

"Rachel used to tell him to be nicer and she was the only other person besides their mother that didn't take shit from him. If anyone can control Maverick, it's her."

"Tell me more about her," Leyah said, glancing toward Maverick again. He was talking to Lyons now.

"Rachel? She's the nicest person I know, but don't piss her off. That's the only similarity between the two knuckleheads, their tempers are legendary," Glade laughed. "She's one of the smartest people in the Brotherhood too. They were surprised she didn't become a scribe. She went for the Paladin route instead."

"Were they close? Maverick and Rachel? She was the only thing he would mention when I asked about his past."

"Were they close? They were the definition of close. When Maverick had to- ya know- leave, she was devastated. He was really protective of her too. You'll never meet anyone who cares about other people's safety as much as him."

Unfortunately, Maverick happened to walk up right as Glade finished talking.

"Gossiping again Glade?" Maverick teased, crossing his arms.

Leyah suddenly realized how close he was standing to her and could see what Glade meant about him being protective.

She tuned out Maverick and Glade's conversation and studied Maverick the whole time. He looked ten years younger as he talked to his friend. The lines in his brow were almost nonexistent and a small grin was now always present on his face. She blushed when she realized she was staring and got back to scavenging anything she could from nearby mutant corpses.

Maverick eventually said goodbye to his friend and joined her.

They ended up near the fountain about 10 minutes later and Leyah halted in her tracks at the sight of the Brotherhood knight.

The body was sprawled awkwardly over the edge of the fountain and Leyah's stomach squirmed at the sight. She glanced up at Maverick and bit her lip when she saw his blank stare. He was stock still and his hands were clenched at his side and Leyah could see the muscles in his jaw tighten.

He suddenly looked much older than he probably was.

Not knowing what else to do, she gently grabbed his hand and managed to work her fingers in-between his before giving them a light squeeze. She let go and started to look for more ammo and other supplies, avoiding the body at all costs.

"You've been doing that a lot, Vaultie."

Leyah squatted down next to a hunting rifle and started to inspect it. "Doing what?" she asked, giving him a quick glance over her shoulder before picking up the gun.

He squatted down next to her and her heart leapt up into her throat when he put a finger under her chin and made her look at him. "Be nice to me," he said, lowering his finger.

Leyah shrugged. "You looked upset. Why wouldn't I be nice?"

His even, greenish-blue stare held hers for many moments and Leyah found herself noticing a lot of things she didn't notice before. Like, for example, the light, thin scar that ran through is left brow, and how long his eyelashes were. Her neck and cheeks suddenly felt warm with the realizations as well.

A loud booming noise broke the moment and Leyah looked toward where the noise came from. Maverick was looking as well and Leyah literally saw the color drain from his face.

"Vargas! Get the Initiate out of there!" he suddenly bellowed, bringing out his bag of grenades.

Before Leyah or, apparently, anyone could react, the pile of cars that was blocking the street was blown apart by the biggest arm Leyah had ever seen. The giant mutant let out a big bellow when his huge arm swung toward Initiate Reddin. Leyah watched in horror as Reddin flew through the air and landed on the steps of the GNR studio.

Maverick and the other Brotherhood soldiers had already reacted, but Leyah could tell that their grenades and bullets weren't going to get them anywhere.

She remembered what Maverick told her about Behemoths, and that the only way to get rid of them was to nuke 'em. She dove away from a flying car door and looked around frantically for something- anything- that could give them a chance.

"Get the fatman!" Lyons yelled, firing her weapon toward the monster.

Leyah looked and her heart started to thud when she saw the fatman in the arms of the dead Brotherhood soldier. She scrambled toward the fountain and ripped the weapon from the dead man's arms, mentally saying an apology.

Leyah realized two big problems when she faced the mutant. 1; she had no idea how to work this gun, and 2; it was impossibly heavy.

"Maverick! Get them away!" she screamed, hoping that she was pulling the trigger.

Luckily, the other soldiers and Maverick were a good distance away when the mini nuke slammed into the mutant's chest.

A large wave of heat rushed into Leyah and she felt the nausea that came with radiation right after it left. That feeling with the combined weight of the fatman forced her to her knees and she clung to the edge of the fountain to keep upright.

The Behemoth let out a gurgled roar before falling forward on its face.

The square was eerily quiet for a few moments before the scattered cheers of the Brotherhood soldiers rang out through the air.

A heavy hand on her shoulder caused Leyah to look up at the sad, yet smiling face of Sarah Lyons. "You did well, much better than the usual rookie. Remind me not to doubt you next time."

Leyah gave her a weak smile before trying to push herself to her feet. She stumbled a little and yelped when she almost toppled over. Luckily, Maverick was there to help her up. "Easy there," he said softly, helping her sit on the edge of the fountain.

"Thanks," she mumbled. Her stomach churned as the gross feeling of radiation just got stronger.

"Need some RadAway?" Maverick asked, setting his pack down.

Leyah didn't open her mouth and she managed to nod. She didn't want to see what she ate for lunch and she didn't want to barf in front of Maverick and the Sentinel.

She scrunched up her face and looked away as Maverick lifted her jumpsuit sleeve and injected the medicine. A small hiss got by her teeth as the needle pinched her arm. The nausea slowly went away and Leyah let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"How the hell did you do that?" Maverick snorted, gesturing toward the fatman.

"What was it you said once? 'Just pull the damn trigger.'"

Maverick barked out a laugh. "Well, now I know you're feeling better. You're giving me shit."

Leyah grinned and took his hand, squeaking a little when he easily pulled her to her feet.

"Thanks, Maverick. It was good to see you again," Lyons said, holding out her hand to the formal soldier.

Maverick stared at her hand for a second before finally giving it a firm shake. "You're doing a good job, Sarah. I think you'll be better than me soon enough."

Lyons shook her head. "How did you do it?"

Both Maverick and Leyah gave her confused looks. "Do what?" Maverick asked, tilting his head.

Lyons looked over at Reddin's body and Leyah's heart almost broke when she saw the weariness and the woman's face. "Move on," she whispered, looking back at Maverick.

Leyah looked up at Maverick too and was shocked to see his eyes glazing over.

He shook his head with a shaky sigh. "You don't."

With that, he turned on his heel, picked up his pack, and walked toward the GNR entrance.

* * *

Three Dog was still the cowardly asshole Maverick remembered him being.

Leyah did him proud though. She gave the asshat a run for his money and didn't stop giving him shit until Maverick finally cut in and just decided to tell Three Dog that they would help.

Now, they were hanging out in one of Three Dog's spare rooms and Leyah was still grumbling angrily as she sorted out all they scavenged. "I can't believe it. All he has to do answer a damn question! Now he's exploiting a kid and wasting everyone's time. I can't even-"

"Leyah."

"I mean. Doesn't he know that there are super mutants everywhere out here?! And why aren't you mad?! Here I was thinking you would be kicking his ass! I-"

"Leyah!"

"What?!" she snapped, setting down the supplies they got from the mutants.

"Sometimes you have to play by other people's rules out here. Three Dog will be eternally grateful and willing to cooperate more in the future if you do this," he said wearily. "And I'm sorry I didn't help you chew his ass out I was…preoccupied."

Leyah stared at him and Maverick stared right back from his spot on the floor. He had immediately sat down and leaned against the wall when they entered the room and he didn't even bother unpacking.

Leyah stood up and walked across the room and took a seat beside him. She rested her head back against the wall as she looked up at him. Maverick looked back and he almost laughed. She really was tiny compared to him and it was funny because it wasn't like she was a stick or anything.

"Do you want to talk? Or is that against the rules still?" she asked quietly, giving him a soft grin. She gently nudged him before looking away.

Some locks of her hair had fallen forward into her eyes and Maverick had to hold back the urge to push them away. He gulped and looked forward, wondering whether he wanted her to know or not.

"How are you so damn cheerful?" he asked instead.

She looked up at him again and shrugged. "Well, if I become a grump like you, I'm letting everything else win. At least that's how I see it. My dad taught me that and it's the only thing I have of him at the moment."

"Is that so?" he asked, looking up at the ceiling.

"Yeah. So I try to stay positive and keep going while doing so."

They sat in silence for many moments before Leyah pushed herself to her feet. "I'm going to get some of that food and beer Three Dog promised. Want anything in particular?"

Maverick waved her off. "Just get whatever, Vaultie."

Leyah grinned at him again before stepping out of the room.

Wiping a hand down his face, Maverick considered his options and the situation he was in. He had never told anyone about the Brotherhood and why he was dismissed. He also didn't tell anyone about the immense debt he owed to Doctor James Hunter. Because of this fact, he wondered why in the hell he would want to tell a tiny girl he had only known for three weeks.

_Oh fuck, I can't be doing this right now,_ he thought, reevaluating why he left Springvale to go find her.

Leyah reminded him of his sister, yes, but she also had something about her that just made him curious. Three Dog wasn't lying when he said that there was something in her that screamed, 'I'm going to get shit done.' If Leyah had proved one thing, it was the fact that she was tenacious and smart, and she used those qualities to help others before even helping herself.

She had told him that the only reason she had come to Springvale was to warn Silver about Moriarty, nothing else. The damn girl risked her life to save someone she didn't even know.

But, seeing her fight with Three Dog made him realize that she wasn't stupid and was at least a little realistic when helping others. Three Dog's request was over both of their heads and Leyah didn't hesitate to say so.

Maverick was never going to admit this to the vault girl's face, but she was the splash of color he needed in his life. He would have been lying if he said he was happy living alone in Springvale. Leyah was the only one who tried to get under his skin and find out more about him and not about what he could do for her.

_Would it be so bad to have someone know?_ he asked himself. Leyah at least deserved an explanation after having to deal with some of the Brotherhood members. And he knew that she would never use that information against him, even though it was against his better judgment. A heavy weight settled in his chest as he sighed. He was going to have to tell her eventually, so he might as well do it now.

Leyah finally returned with two plates of Brahmin steak and two beers. "This was all he had," she said apologetically, sitting down beside him.

Maverick took the plate, fork, and bottle from her and just stared at it. He looked back at her and set them to the side. "Leyah."

Her fork paused in front of her mouth and she glanced over at him. "Yeah?"

"I'm going to tell you some stories, so set your shit down for a second."

Leyah's brow arched incredulously, but she did as he asked.

"I'm going to tell you what your dad did, and why I was dismissed from the Brotherhood," Maverick paused and took a deep breath before continuing, "It happened 20 years ago. I was 14 years old and Rachel was 10…"


	5. Chapter 5

A young boy breathed in deeply as he stood at the top of one of the Citadel watch towers. His chestnut colored hair whipped around in the wind as he looked out over the expanse of the ruins. His whole body trembled as he looked over the edge. Jesus, he hated heights. Why was he up here?!

"Look Mav! I see a dog pack that way. Do you think Mom and Dad will let us adopt one?!" a high pitched voice squealed happily.

Oh, that's why.

Maverick rolled his eyes and looked at his 10 year old sister standing nearby. She was leaning on the watch tower railing and pointing out toward the open area near the Citadel. Her dark hair whipped around her own face as she beamed at him.

"Rach! Get off of the railing. Dad would kill me if you fell!" Maverick ordered, feeling queasy at the thought.

Rachel shrugged and stepped away from the railing. "I don't know why you're so scared of heights. It's really not that bad up here."

Maverick begged to differ. "Come on. Mom is going to be looking for us soon."

Rachel scuffed her shoe on the ground and reluctantly followed Maverick down the watch tower stairs.

They jogged across the bailey toward the B ring. Maverick's mom was currently serving as the Brotherhood's doctor until they get their robot fixed.

Maverick honestly preferred his mother looking at the wounds he got from training rather than a robot. At least he knew his mother wouldn't accidentally try to cut his arm off when she was treating him.

The finally made it to the Infirmary and Maverick knocked on the door. Rachel clutched at the back of his shirt and Maverick rolled his eyes. She really needed to stop doing that. She was 10 years old for crying out loud. But, he let her do it anyway because he was a sucker when it came to her and she knew it.

The door finally opened and his mom, Eleanor, beamed down at them. "Just a second. I'm treating a broken nose right now."

She gently closed the door and Maverick looked back at Rachel with a shrug. Rachel suddenly smiled. "I'm going to ask her about the dogs."

Maverick shook his head in amusement. "You do that, Rach. She's going to say no."

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

"No you don't. You act like you know everything but you don't, Mav."

Maverick just grinned and shook his head again.

A loud cry suddenly came from the Infirmary and the soothing sound of Eleanor's voice shortly followed it.

An Initiate that Maverick didn't recognize walked out of the room, holding a bloody rag to his nose. Eleanor followed him. "Now keep that up there. It'll stop bleeding eventually."

The initiate nodded and walked away. Maverick kind of felt bad for the guy. They were practicing hand-to-hand combat today in training and it was rough for a lot of the newer kids. Maverick didn't have any trouble. His dad has been training him for as long as he can remember so he never had to worry during training. It was all review to him.

His father, Johnathan, was the head Paladin in the Brotherhood and was one of Elder Lyons' personal advisors. Johnathan had told Maverick that he needed his children to be the best in training, or he would look bad.

When Maverick was younger, he just accepted these words and didn't ask questions. He just did what his father told him too. Now, he thought it was complete and utter bullshit, but he tried his best in training anyway. He didn't know how to do anything else.

Rachel was now going through their father's training sessions and Maverick couldn't help but feel pissed whenever he saw a bruise forming on his sister's skin or when she looked worn down. She stayed happy and smiling though, and that was better than how Maverick did at her age.

Eleanor smiled and kneeled down to press a kiss to Rachel's temple. "Are you two ready for dinner?"

"Mom, can we have a dog?"

Eleanor's brows rose at the question. "Why do you want a dog, sweetie?"

"We saw a pack of them from the watch tower today and they look really cool. Can we please have one?"

Eleanor shook her head. "Sorry honey, dogs require a lot of work and supplies that we just don't have."

Rachel frowned. "But Sarah has a dog! Why does she get a dog and we don't? Dad's just as important as Elder Lyons. I want a dog!"

"Rach, that's enough," Maverick warned, seeing how his Mom's brows were starting to pinch together. They only did that when she was upset.

"Shut up, Maverick! I just don't get why we can't have a dog! It's not fair!"

"Rachel Marie Barrington, you stop right now," Eleanor ordered softly.

Eleanor then sighed and tucked a lock Rachel's dark hair behind her ear. Maverick almost sighed when he saw his sister's eyes glazing over with unshed tears.

"Rachel, we can't have a dog. They really are much more work than they're worth. A dog would take away food that another person could be eating. Do you want to take food away from someone else?"

"No, but-"

"And there's your answer. Don't ask again," Eleanor said with finality.

The trio walked toward the mess hall in a tense silence. Angry tears slowly trailed down Rachel's cheeks and it took all of Maverick's willpower to not reach out and hold her hand. This was a lesson she had to learn, and he couldn't hold her hand and comfort her while she was learning.

It sucked to see her cry though.

* * *

"Maverick! Maverick wake up!"

Maverick jerked awake and reached for the knife he kept under his pillow. He looked up and was shocked to see his dad standing over him. Johnathan Barrington was the perfect definition of authority. From the way his hair was combed over to how he spoke and acted told no one to mess with him.

At the moment, Johnathan's dark eyes were flashing with fury. "Get up. Now."

Maverick quickly rolled out of bed at his father's harsh tone. "What is it?" he asked, pulling on his boots.

"It's Rachel. She's missing."

Maverick felt like a bucket of rad-water was poured over his head and it left a wake of nausea after it. "What?!"

"You heard me. She's missing. Keep your voice down."

Maverick looked around and was surprised to see the other Initiates in their beds still. "Why isn't the whole Citadel awake?"

"Because I want to keep this as low key as possible. Now hurry up, I have a small group waiting near the front gate. Meet us there."

Maverick grit his teeth to keep a smart ass remark to himself as Johnathan walked away. Low key? Maverick didn't know much about being a parent, but he would have been turning the whole damn place upside down if he had a missing kid. Not forming a small search party and hoping no one found out.

"Fucking asshole," he hissed, quickly pulling his combat armor on. He grabbed his laser rifle and slung it over his shoulder before loping over to the main entrance. He clipped on his ammo belt and stepped out the door to see his parents and a few other Paladins waiting there.

"Good, we're all here. Maverick, you and Paladin Wernicke will cover the land southeast of us toward the river. Eleanor and I will cover the land northwest and Paladin Jordan and Paladin Reynes will cover the area southwest."

Maverick almost sighed. His dad obviously had no idea what was going on. "Dad, she went after the dog pack that passed by south of here because she wants a dog. It's pointless to go north."

Johnathan whipped around and narrowed his eyes at him.

_Fuck._

"Are you head Paladin, Initiate?"

"Johnathan-"

"Not. Now. Eleanor."

Maverick grit his teeth again. He fucking _hated_ how his dad talked to his mom. His mom didn't deserve half of the bullshit Johnathan gave her.

"Fine, go north. She won't be that way," Maverick snapped, walking away before his dad could say anything else.

Paladin Wernicke caught up with him and they started to head toward the river. "You know he's just worried right? He usually isn't that snappy."

"You didn't used to live with him," Maverick grumbled. The day he started training as an Initiate was the best and worst day ever. The best part was he got away from his dad. The worst part was the fact that he couldn't watch over his mom and Rachel.

Fuck what everyone thought, Maverick wasn't going to lie for his dad and come up with excuses.

The duo almost didn't need to use their flashlights the moon was so bright. Maverick stayed as quiet as he could as he listened to the sounds of the night.

Dammit, if he knew where Rachel left, he could have tracked her easily. They finally reached the river and Maverick huffed in annoyance. They haven't found anything and it would be dumb as hell to call out. A super mutant would find them before they found Rachel. A howl suddenly sounded throughout the night and a shrill scream followed it.

Maverick and Wernicke stared at each other before bolting toward the sound. Maverick wasn't wearing the power armor so he was able to get a lead.

His boots finally hit the road's pavement and he instantly raised his rifle. There were three dogs and he saw a body on the ground. Maverick took aim and pulled the trigger. The first dog disintegrated into ash and the other two bolted with their tails between their legs.

Dread filled Maverick as he sprinted toward the body. His heart was threatening to thunder out of his chest as he skidded to a halt next to Rachel. "Rach? Rach!"

Rachel whimpered and curled up into an even tighter ball. He looked and saw deep gashes in her legs and arms. The one on her side was the one that worried him the most. Luckily, the dogs didn't reach her neck. She was crying and staring up at him with huge eyes. "Maverick it hurts! Make it stop!" she sobbed, crying even harder.

"Oh Rachel," he breathed, quickly taking off his shirt. He tore it into strips and started to wrap them around her wounds. He stared down at her face and he could literally feel his heart being ripped to shreds.

Rachel never looked so tiny or broken in her life and her crying only got worse after he tied the makeshift bandages. He put on what was left of his shirt and quickly put his armor back on over it.

"Is she okay?" Wernicke managed to huff out as he stopped beside them.

Maverick suddenly realized that Rachel's crying had gotten softer. He looked at her again and his heart sunk to the ground when he saw her eyes starting to flutter.

"Maverick, I don't feel good," she mumbled between sniffs.

"Shit, she's lost a lot of blood. We need to get her back to the Citadel now."

"Alright, lets-"

"RAAAAAAGH!"

Maverick immediately ducked down as the loud pop of a gunshot rang out in the night. "Fuck, it's Muties," Wernicke snarled, lifting his gun and aiming it down the bank. Wernicke shot and looked down at Maverick. "You have to get her to Jefferson Memorial. Some of our soldiers are stationed there. Hurry!"

Maverick didn't hesitate. He lifted Rachel so that she was draped over his back. He hooked his arms underneath her legs and tried to position her arms over his shoulders and he started to run. His blood pounded in his ears and his lungs started to burn as he sprinted down the road.

"Maverick, I'm scared."

"I know, I'll get us out of here. Hang on Rach."

He tried to stay in the shadows as much as possible and his heart felt like it was threatening to burst as he felt bullets whiz by his head. Rachel didn't say anything else and her body went slack. Terror started to take control at the feeling of her dead weight on top of him.

He had to get Rachel to safety. If it was the last thing he did on this earth, he was going to save his sister.

God damn him if he let her die because of a few stupid dogs and mutants.

Jefferson Memorial's tall dome finally started to block out the moon and Maverick could see his escape. The glint of power armor on the scaffolding outside revealed the sentries the Brotherhood stationed outside.

"Help! Muties! Brotherhood member down!" he bellowed.

He shouted in pain when a searing, hot feeling bloomed in his leg. He didn't even stop to see what happened and he kept hobbling toward the memorial entrance.

The door opened and a Knight burst out with a gun at the ready. "Get inside!"

Maverick hobbled in and fell to his knees. His leg was shaking and it felt like it was on fire.

"What's going on?"

Maverick looked up to see a man wearing a lab coat. His dark hair was combed over neatly and his accent was strange. "My sister! Please help her!" Maverick managed to choke out. He had blacked out before, and he could feel it coming.

His world turned dark and he used his last ounce of energy to make sure he fell forward instead of backward so he wouldn't crush Rachel.

* * *

Maverick woke to the sounds of a muffled voice. When he finally came to, he could hear clearly.

"She'll have some scars, but she'll be okay," the same, deep, accented voice from before said.

Maverick opened his eyes and immediately wish he didn't. The light was blinding and his head felt like it got smashed with a mutie's sledgehammer. Despite that, he had to know what was going on. He looked to the side and the breath whooshed out of his lungs in relief when he saw Rachel tucked under a blanket in a bed nearby.

He slowly sat up and looked down at his leg. It was covered with bandages and the pain was slowly going away.

"We had to use a stimpak. I hope that's alright," a light, feminine voice said.

Maverick looked to see a blonde woman smiling at him next to his bed. Her grey-blue eyes crinkled as her smile grew. She stood up and Maverick tried to not stare at her heavily pregnant belly. "We were actually more worried about you than her. We thought the bullet got your bone for a while."

"You're lucky you got here when you did. Your sister almost bled out. We were able to help her though. You should be proud of yourself young man," the man said, stepping closer to Maverick's bed.

"How long was I out?" Maverick asked, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. The pain was quickly disappearing from his leg and he looked at the man. "Thank you, for the stimpak."

"You are welcome. And you've been out for a couple hours. A blood pack and a stimpak did the trick for your leg," the man said, giving him a kind smile. He held out his hand. "I'm Doctor James Hunter, and this is my wife, Doctor Catherine Hunter. We are working on a science project here. What's your name son?"

Maverick took the man's hand. "Maverick Barrington. What did you do for her?" he asked, looking over at Rachel.

"I was able to stitch up the shallow wounds and we gave her a stimpak to help the deeper ones heal. She should be alright," James answered.

Maverick sighed in relief. "I-"

The door suddenly burst open and Maverick's heart dropped when he saw his dad walk in with his mom close behind. "Maverick, go help the Knights out front. Now."

Maverick held back a sigh and nodded at the two scientists before grabbing his things next to the bed. He looked at the scientists again. "Than-"

"Maverick. Now!"

Maverick glared at his dad before walking out the door.

* * *

Maverick stared at the opposite wall, waiting for Leyah to say something.

"You…met my mom?"

Maverick stiffened and dared to look at her. "Yeah, I guess I did."

"What was she like?"

Maverick's brows pinched in confusion. "You never met her?"

Leyah looked away. "She died when I was born," she said quietly, now gnawing on her lip.

Maverick's heart sunk at her expression. He knew what that look meant. He saw the same expression in the mirror whenever he had come back from a mission. "You blame yourself, don't you?"

Leyah sighed and let out a small laugh. "I mean, I would blame me if I was my dad. She would still be alive if they didn't have me and he never got over her."

Her eyes started to glaze over with tears and Maverick did something he hadn't done in years. He draped an arm over her shoulders and pulled her close. "I doubt that's what your dad thinks. It's one of the damn risks of living out here."

Leyah shook her head. "What if that's why he left? What if he really couldn't stand the sight of me?"

"Cut that shit out. It might have something to do with what your parents were doing before you were born. I never knew what the hell was going on at the memorial but there were Knights there all the time so it must have been important."

Leyah wiped her nose and looked up at him. "What if he's there?"

Maverick shrugged. "I don't know about you, but I want to make absolutely sure before going anywhere. Confirm stuff while you can out here, because you don't get that chance often."

Leyah nodded and stared ahead. She then leaned into him more, resting her hand on his knee. Maverick stared at her hand, suddenly realizing what position they were in now that he wasn't comforting her. Her side was pressed against his and he could see the freckles on the bridge of her nose she was so close now. His heart started to thud in his chest and he mentally cursed at himself.

She blushed and immediately jerked it back to her lap. Maverick found the action endearing. "Sorry…so that's why you want to help me find Dad? So you can thank him for real?"

"Yeah, Rachel is one of the most important things in my life. I don't know what I would do if she died and I have your parents to thank for that." He paused, trying to think of something else to say. "You look like your mom too. Same hair and shit. The rest is your dad."

Leyah grinned a little. "Dad always told me I kind of looked like her."

Maverick squeezed her shoulders before pulling his arm away. "I also just wanted to help you after you left. You remind me of Rachel."

Leyah looked up at him, grin growing wider. "Really? How?"

"She goes out of her way for people too. And she doesn't let the wasteland win either."

Leyah chuckled and thumped his leg. "I knew you liked me a little."

"Yeah yeah, congratulations," Maverick retorted, pinching her arm.

"Hey!"

"Now shut up, this next story is depressing."

* * *

"More and more muties are getting deeper into the ruins. Where the fuck are they coming from and why are they coming here?" Kodiak rumbled, scratching his head.

Maverick sighed and looked at their makeshift map of the ruins on the table. The rest of the Pride was standing around it, looking to him for answers.

"We need to find out where they're making more muties. As far as we know, they don't reproduce and they don't always eat the people they capture. Now, most of them are coming from the western tunnels and slowly making their way east; we need to cut them off," he finally said, pointing at the various markers on the map.

"What should we do? Set traps at certain tunnels?" Sarah said, pointing to one of the western tunnels.

Maverick shook his head. "No, we can't do that because civilians could get hurt that way. Yes, it would probably deal with a lot of the yellow motherfuckers but that's putting too many innocent lives at stake."

"Come on, who is innocent these days?" Kodiak huffed.

Maverick glared at him. "Hey asshole, our job is to protect civilians and nothing else. Now, I say we search every western tunnel until we find out which one they're coming in from and go from there. If we can track the fuckers back to their origin, we just might be able to solve the problem."

Glade crossed his arms with a scoff. "Oh please, I think we all know those bastards at Raven Rock are the ones behind it."

Maverick gave him a knowing smirk. "I think the Enclave are behind a lot of shit in the wasteland, but we can't stop them until we know what they're up to for sure. The Pride could find the means of their destruction and I think dealing with the muties can be our first step toward that."

A light knock suddenly sounded on the door, causing the whole Pride to look toward it as it slowly opened. A young scribe stood there with an apologetic look. "Uh, Sentinel Barrington, they want to see you in Elder Lyons' quarters, sir."

Maverick rolled his eyes toward Glade. "Start making plans. I'll be back."

The walk to the top level of the Citadel was a short one and Maverick found himself in front of the Elder's office in no time. He knocked on the door and stepped in.

Surprisingly, he only saw his dad, Scribe Rothchild, and Paladin Casdin. Why were the advisors here? Lyons was nowhere to be seen.

"Can you close the door please, Sentinel?" Rothchild asked with a thin smile.

Maverick shut the door and stepped toward the advisors. "You needed me?" he asked, looking at each of their faces.

"We came here to give you a proposition, son," Johnathan said, walking toward a large table on the other side of the room.

Fuck, his dad only called him son when he wanted something. It took every ounce of his willpower to not give him a sarcastic reply. "And that would be?"

"We have come up with a new mission plan to help with the growing super mutant problem," Rothchild said, walking toward the table as well.

Maverick followed suit and stepped closer to the table. There was a detailed map of the metros on it and red markers at every open tunnel entrance. Blue markers were placed on the western metro entrances.

"The red markers represent every accessible tunnel in the metro. Do you want to know what the blue markers represent?" Rothchild asked.

Maverick grit his teeth. He hated how Rothchild spoke to everyone in a patronizing tone; it pissed him off to no end. "What do they represent, Scribe Rothchild?"

"The Super Mutants have an irrational need for humans, so we decided to go with a different approach rather than taking the fight to them," Rothchild explained, "we plan to find willing…volunteers, to go in and draw the mutants out while the Pride fires down on them. We even believe that collapsing some of the tunnels they use frequently will help with the issue."

Maverick stiffened and glared at the Scribe. "You want to use people as fucking bait?"

"Language," Johnathan chided.

"Fuck you, I lead the elite group here. I can say what I want," Maverick snapped, turning back toward the scribe. "Say it again, asshole. You want to use our people as bait and possibly collapse a tunnel on them just to stop a few muties?"

"We believe it would be most effective and it would force them to use the tunnels we have an advantage in and-"

"No one has any advantage in any tunnel, you fuckwit. The feral ghouls and super mutants will always have the upper hand no matter what the hell you do and you would know it if you actually left this damn place. Putting people in danger is not worth it."

Casdin sighed and looked at his dad. "Johnathan, please get through to him."

Arch Paladin Barrington obviously didn't like how his son was disagreeing with their perfect plan. Maverick could recognize the signs immediately. His dad's jaw as clenched and he was holding his hands behind his back. His eyes were like hardened steel as he narrowed his eyes toward his son.

"Sentinel, we never said that we would use our own people to draw the mutants out. People are looking for help and supplies from the Brotherhood all the time. We will compensate the civilians that make it out of the operation and give them shelter and the supplies they need."

Maverick felt as if someone shocked him with a pulse mine. No fucking way. No. Fucking. Way.

"You want to wave innocent people in front of the mutants and possibly crush them in a tunnel? And you want the Pride to be a direct part of it? No. My men and I will have nothing to do with this," he snarled. "What does Elder Lyons have to say about this?!"

"He approved of it this morning. All we need is you and the Pride's cooperation," Rothchild explained calmly.

Maverick didn't believe a god damned word. Lyons would never approve putting innocent people in danger. That was not what the Brotherhood was about. They left the ruthless cruelty to the Enclave. "I want to hear it from him before I fucking decide anything. Where is he?"

Johnathan suddenly lunged forward and tried to tower over Maverick. That was hard to do when he was shorter than him now. "You listen here, we are your superiors. I don't care what group you lead. We believe this is the best for the wasteland and it will give us an edge over the mutants."

Maverick shook his head. He knew what this was about. His father was an elitist through and through. "Let me guess, our volunteers will come from Megaton and some of the less sophisticated settlements of the wasteland? Just weeding out the unworthy, right? I want nothing to do with it," Maverick growled, glaring right back at his father.

Johnathan's jaw clenched and Maverick knew he hit the nail on the head. That motherfucker didn't see it coming.

"I know how you feel about some of the settlers. You wouldn't feel an ounce of sympathy if that bomb in Megaton went off. I bet you would be grateful," he stepped closer and towered over his dad instead, "Let me tell you one thing Arch Paladin, the Pride and I are not going to be a part of your fucked up schemes. You tell Elder Lyons that I will be in the Den if he wants to explain this plan himself, _if_ he approved it."

Maverick turned on his heel and glared at Casdin and Rothchild. "I'm honestly not surprised that you three motherfuckers came up with this. It's disappointing to see people like you among us."

He started to walk toward the door. His dad's sharp tone reached his ears right as he reached for the doorknob.

"You will be dismissed from the Brotherhood of Steel if you walk out that door, Maverick Barrington," Johnathan threatened.

Maverick's hand froze on the doorknob. He looked up at the ceiling with clenched teeth. He whirled around, barking out a laugh. "Oh really? Just because I don't want to kill people? Or because I won't bow down to your demands?"

"Yes, insubordination like this will cause the downfall of the Brotherhood. If you continue to disobey orders, we will be forced to take action. You will be dismissed and if you do not leave the Citadel before nightfall, you will be shot on sight."

Rothchild and Casedin wouldn't even meet Maverick's eyes when he glared over at them.

Maverick weighed his options. He could stay here and agree with their fucked up plan, but the guilt would weigh him down the rest of his life and he knew the Pride would question everything he did after that. He could refuse and get shot, but that wouldn't help anything. Everyone would believe whatever lies his dad and the others could cook up.

There was only one option that would expose them and keep the Pride out of the plan, and it was the most painful option of all.

"Fuck you. The Pride stays out of it," he hissed.

With that, he stepped out the door and slammed it shut behind him.

* * *

Maverick didn't even bother going back to the Den. He immediately went to his quarters and started packing.

"Hold it."

Maverick looked over his shoulder and inwardly groaned. Knight Morgan was one of his least favorite people out there. She basically licked the dirt off his dad's boots.

"What?"

"You can't take any power armor or technology with you. You're allowed clothes, basic supplies, and one weapon," she sneered.

Maverick stepped close and towered over her. "Oh? And you're going to enforce that?"

The whine of a laser pistol charging and a soft nudge to his abdomen was his answer. Maverick clenched his jaw to keep from punching the smug grin off her face.

"Fine, but I get to see the rest of my family before I go."

"Fine with me. You only have 30 minutes before the sun sets though, so I would hurry if I were you."

Maverick quickly packed things that he would absolutely need and things he could trade. He left his laser rifle and grabbed his shotgun instead. Shotgun shells were cheaper than electron packs.

He picked up his pack and glared at Morgan before striding out of his room. He quickly made his way toward the B Ring. He finally made it to his parents' room and he tapped on the door. He tried to ignore the laser pistol pointed at his back.

His mother opened it and her blue-green eyes crinkled as she smiled up at him. "A visit from my son? I thought you were too busy being important to do that," Eleanor laughed.

Her comment was like a punch to the gut. Without saying anything, he stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry, Mom…you won't get to see me for a while."

Eleanor pushed away and stared up at him with wide eyes. Her lip started to tremble when she saw the heavy pack draped over his shoulder with his shotgun. "You said no, didn't you? I didn't think he would actually do it," she mumbled, looking horrified.

Maverick pulled her in for a hug again. "You can't let him carry out that fucked plan of theirs Mom. Do whatever you can to expose that son of a bitch." He stepped away and held her face in his hands, wiping away her tears with his thumb. "I love you, Mom. Take care of Rach for me."

Eleanor barely managed to nod before pulling her son in for another hug. "Stay safe out there. And carry out our mission."

Maverick instantly knew what she meant. "I'll try."

Eleanor pushed him away. "Go find Rach. You don't have much time. I'll meet you by the front gate," she managed to choke out before covering her mouth to stop the sobs.

Maverick nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead before hurrying down the hallway.

Maverick gulped down the lump forming in his throat as he stepped into the A Ring. Rachel would most likely be with the other Knights right now in the mess hall.

He finally reached it and instantly picked her dark hair out in the crowd. He hurried over to her and grabbed her elbow. She yelped in surprise as he pulled her toward the other exit. "Hey! You could at least say hi first, dummy!"

Maverick stopped when they got into the hallway and he took a deep breath before meeting her eyes. Morgan gave him a warning look from behind Rachel. "I have to leave, Rach."

Rachel's thin brows pinched in confusion and her mouth turned down into a frown. "What? Why? What happened? Are you going on a special mission for the Pride?"

Maverick's heart was literally being ripped apart. "No, I am being dismissed from the Brotherhood. I have to leave in 15 minutes."

Rachel's dark brown eyes widened in shock before she started to shake her head. "No…no fucking way. You?! You're being dismissed of all people?! NO!"

Her small hands were clenched at her sides as she shook with fury. "That's not right! You're our best soldier! You lead the Pride. Why?! I can't-"

Maverick grabbed her shoulders. "Rachel, I need you to do something for me. Find Elder Lyons and tell him what happened. Mom can explain everything you need to know." He paused and pulled her in for a tight hug. "I'm going to miss you, Squirt."

Rachel let out a half laugh-half sob. "This can't be happening."

Maverick gently pushed her away and squeezed her shoulders. "This is the only way that Dad and the others can be exposed. You have to do this for me, Rach. Only you and mom can."

"They can try," Morgan scoffed.

Maverick glared at her before looking at his sister again. He pressed a kiss to the crown of her head and leaned down a little to look her in the eye. "I love you, Rach. I'll be okay. It's up to you to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else."

Rachel nodded as tears streamed down her face. "I promise."

Maverick smiled sadly and turned to walk away.

He tried to ignore how his heart was breaking as Rachel reached out and grabbed the back of his shirt as they walked toward the bailey. She never did break that habit.

They walked out the door to the front gate and Maverick's stomach started to roll when he saw his mother standing near the gate with what looked like knapsack.

None of them said a word as she handed it to him. Maverick wrapped his arms around both of their shoulders and pulled them close, holding them one last time. He could feel his mother's tears starting to fall on his shirt and Rachel was trying to put on a brave face when he pulled away.

He forced himself to turn away from them and he followed the road that eventually led to Rivet City.

"I love you!" his mother called out.

He didn't let the tears fall until he was near the river.

* * *

"That's why you were dismissed? For doing the right thing?! I want to kick your dad where it hurts!" Leyah snapped. Her knuckles started to turn white she was gripping the fabric of her jumpsuit so hard.

They had eaten their meal during the story and Maverick was now nursing his beer. He felt like he needed something stronger after telling her everything.

Leyah was literally shaking with fury. "I can't believe that he would do that to you! You made it sound like you did something horrible but it's the opposite! And I can't believe your dad! You're his son! I can't even-"

Maverick reached out and grabbed one of her hands before she could start waving them around like she did when she was pissed. "Leyah, as far as I know, his plan never got carried out. Knowing that has helped keep me going."

Leyah shook her head as angry tears welled in her eyes. "It's just so damn stupid! It's hard to wrap my mind around."

Maverick huffed. "Tell me about it."

She stared at him for a moment and Maverick finally looked her in the eye again.

Without saying anything else, Leyah scooted close to him again and leaned against his side. Maverick tensed when she wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so sorry that happened to you."

Maverick was torn between putting his arm around her again and pushing her away. He knew he should push her away, but there was a bigger part of him that didn't want to. It felt good to have someone hug him again.

Instead of overthinking it, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders like before and they sat in silence until they both fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Leyah's hip hurt when she woke up, and she felt warmer than usual.

Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she almost jumped when she realized that she had fallen asleep leaning against Maverick.

She didn't know why, but she had wanted to just be close to him after he told her what happened and that urge was stronger than her fear of what he would think.

Her heart started to thud in her chest as she slowly looked up at his sleeping face. She shifted a little so she could get a better look and took in the sight before her. Maverick looked younger when he was asleep. The deep lines in his forehead and the eternal frown he usually had were nonexistent now. Her eyes followed the stubble along his sharp jawline toward his slightly parted mouth. His dark eyelashes fanned out on his high cheekbones and his slightly crooked nose actually looked charming from this angle.

His hair was a little tousled too and she had to resist the urge to reach up and push it away from his face.

Her whole body started to feel warm in a different way as she stared and she mentally smacked herself. No, she couldn't be doing this right now. Maverick was her friend. Her mentor. Her guide. Not a potential boyfriend.

Hell, he probably saw her as another little sister, since he said she reminded him of Rachel and all.

Leyah's heart sunk at the thought and she inwardly groaned. No, this couldn't be real. She was probably just feeling this way because he saved her and is helping her. Nothing more.

She had to study psychology a little when the G.O.A.T said she was cut out to be a doctor. She knew the signs of the 'White Knight syndrome'. Yet, she couldn't stop her heart from flopping around in her chest from just being close to Maverick. She noticed that these reactions started right after he actually called her by her name, and they haven't left.

Without realizing it, she had dug her fingers into the fabric of his shirt while she was contemplating her new feelings and the blush on her cheeks only burned more. His body felt like it was made of stone beneath her hands and Leyah found herself wondering what he looked like underneath the shirt.

Shit, she had to get away.

Somehow, she managed to get out from underneath his arm and she stepped out into the hallway. Leyah checked her Pip-boy and flinched at the time. 5:30…she couldn't remember if she had ever been awake at this time in her entire life.

She leaned against the wall and took a deep breath, trying to get her emotions under control. She wasn't stupid about sex and stuff, she dated Wally Mack for crying out loud and she wasn't exactly innocent.

Leyah inwardly flinched at the thought. That was one of the worst decisions she ever made.

But, her experiences in that part of her life were limited and she had no idea what to do about the way she was reacting toward Maverick. This was a completely different game that she didn't know how to play. She thought about the age difference between her and Maverick as well and her heart dropped even more.

Maverick had to be way more experienced than her in everything and he probably saw her as a stupid kid.

Leyah pinched the bridge of her nose. She had to stop thinking that actually having something with Maverick was an option, because it wasn't. And it never was going to be. There was no way in hell he would even consider her. These thoughts swam in her mind for more than a few minutes.

"Vaultie?"

Leyah jumped and looked up to see Maverick standing at the threshold of the doorway. He yawned and ran his fingers through his hair, causing it to stick up in the front a little. "What time is it?"

Leyah mentally cursed when she momentarily thought the action was cute. "It's about 5:45. You want to get ready to head out?"

Maverick nodded and stepped back into the room. "Yeah, let's see what we have to work with and then we'll get going."

It was almost 6:30 by the time they counted out all they had and planned out what they were going to do. Before the mutants took over the Museum of Technology, the Brotherhood had used it as a research base for a while, so Maverick already knew its layout.

Leyah tried to avoid being near Maverick as they stepped out into the faint morning light. That was hard to do since they had to basically crawl down the broken down side of the building toward the metro. Maverick had reached up and helped her down a ledge more than once and she cursed herself for feeling breathless each time he did.

She started to feel queasy when they approached the metro and grumbled a little as they finally made it down the hill. Why did the metro have to be the only way to travel everywhere? It was dumb.

A heavy breathing noise and quick footsteps caused her to freeze in her tracks. "Maverick-"

"I hear it," he growled, cocking his gun.

Sure enough, there was a feral ghoul high tailing it toward them. Maverick raised his shotgun and it was down before it could get 20 feet away from them.

He looked over at her and Leyah's breath hitched in her throat when the morning sunlight managed to hit his eyes just right, making his eyes look more green than blue. "You okay, Vaultie?"

Leyah mentally shook herself and forced out a, "Yeah, I'm good."

He nodded and started to walk toward the metro entrance. "This metro is notorious for its bastard ghouls because it leads toward the Museum of History. You'll have to be on your toes, okay? Remember all the shit I taught you."

Leyah nodded and tried to use the trick she used yesterday. Just focus on how calm he is. Just focus on him.

She inwardly groaned after the thought.

She was digging herself a bigger hole without even trying.

* * *

Women were a big mystery. Maverick knew this and he discovered this the hard way during his first serious relationship many years ago.

They were the best mysteries to solve though, and Maverick was trying to do just that as he sat at the top of the Washington monument while Leyah fixed the radio dish.

He was contemplating his current mystery while cleaning his shotgun, occasionally glancing up at Leyah to make sure she wasn't about to fall or anything.

She had been acting weird and distant all day and he had a little idea for the reason she was. It had to be because of something he said or how they accidentally fell asleep last night.

Either way, it was his fault. He learned to just accept that fact during his previous relationships.

Shit, why was he categorizing his problems with Leyah with the problems he had with his previous girlfriends?

Fuck.

Maverick sighed and put his gun back together, crossing his arms as he looked away from the vault girl. No, this could never be a thing. He was almost 15 years older than her, not to mention that she thought the idea of them actually being something as a joke. She had laughed when the Pride teased them yesterday and Maverick knew what that meant.

It meant that it was never going to be something and that was that.

Leyah wasn't drop dead gorgeous, hardly anyone in the wasteland was, but that didn't mean she wasn't pretty. Maverick noticed that she was attractive from the start, but that didn't mean he had really thought about it until now.

She had more curves and flesh on her due to her upbringing in the vault and her short stature gave her a slightly stocky but cute look. Maverick also started to notice how her nose would scrunch up a little when she laughed and how passionate she was about stupid things like technology and science. He had also noticed how the weak sunlight today would cause her hair to shine in a way dim lightbulbs couldn't and that was when he knew he was in trouble.

He inwardly groaned.

Maverick wished that he didn't basically tell her his life story now, because he felt that it was impairing his judgment when it came to her now. He basically covered everything in the metro and she actually got irritated with him at the Museum of Technology when he was starting to get a little protective. She actually shoved him out of the way so she could take out a mutant herself at some point.

The little vault girl was getting under Maverick's skin in a way he never anticipated and he surprised to find himself welcoming the feeling instead of pushing it away, and that meant accepting the fear and doubt that came with it.

Sure, it would never be something, but Maverick hadn't felt this at ease or happy in 8 years and he was okay with just being around her as long as that feeling remained.

Leyah jumped down from the ladder, wiping the dirt off her hands. "Alright, Three Dog should be getting his signal now."

Maverick nodded and pushed himself up. "Perfect, now let's go give that bastard hell. I'll be a bigger help this time around," he joked.

Leyah shook her head with a grin. "Actually, I'll let you take care of it since you slacked the last time. I have a feeling that you'll get somewhere with the jerk faster."

Maverick shrugged. "I don't know, Vaultie. You gave him a run for his caps last time."

Leyah rolled her eyes and walked toward the elevator. "Sure. And I'm also 7 feet tall."

"No, you just don't know when to shut up and that helps with assholes like him."

"So glad to know you think that way."

Maverick couldn't stop his grin. There was the spunk he didn't hear all day. Maybe her behavior the rest of the day had nothing to do with him. Maverick mentally hit himself. Why was he overthinking this shit? He was starting to sound like his sister.

The elevator ride down seemed to take even longer than the ride up.

Maverick glanced down at her and started to wonder what she was thinking. Her head started to move and he quickly looked away before she could catch him looking at her.

"Maverick…will you tell me when it's okay to ask you more about the Brotherhood and stuff?"

"What do you want to know?" he asked. He honestly didn't mind telling her that shit now. It was probably because he knew she wouldn't use it against him somehow later on like any other wastelander would.

Leyah stared up at him with an incredulous look and Maverick suddenly realized how blue her eyes actually were. "Seriously?"

"No, you only have this window," Maverick replied, going deadpan.

Leyah frowned and pinched his arm.

"Ow! I'm going to start telling people that you're abusive to your friends!"

"Don't pick on me!"

"You make it too easy."

"Fine, I'm not going to ask you questions now."

Maverick scoffed. He suddenly remembered a game he and Rachel would play when they were kids. "How about this; any question you ask, we both answer. That way you might get to shut up a little."

Leyah arched a brow. "Why do you want to do this? I already told you a lot."

Maverick shrugged. "Jesus, I was trying to give you an opportunity to bug me more than usual, but you obviously don't want it."

Leyah gently elbowed him. "Well excuse me for being incredulous when you wouldn't tell me jack before!"

Maverick opened his mouth to argue, but she was right for once. "Fuck," he hissed, looking away.

"Holy shit, I just proved a point. Yes!" The elevator door chose that moment to open and she skipped out, whooping in victory with her hands in the air.

Instead of being irritated, Maverick found himself thinking the action was cute.

So much for trying to not think of her that way.

Leyah turned around, and started to walk backwards out of the monument with her hands clasped behind her. "So are you serious? You really want to let me have free reign?"

"Fucking hell Vaultie, take the offer before I change my mind."

She giggled before turning back around to walk straight again. "Okay, first question. What was growing up in the Citadel like?"

"Tough as hell. Dad wanted Rach and I to train as soon as we could. It was okay when we weren't training though. It was safe…safer than anywhere else in the wasteland at least. Your turn Vaultie."

"Well, the Vault was same on the safe part. Now that I think about it, it was kind of depressing. A lot of people were suffering from VID and then there were the Tunnel Snakes."

"What the hell is VID? And what the fuck is a Tunnel Snake?"

"Vault Induced Depression. I had to learn about it when I was training to be a doctor. It's almost as if humans knew they weren't supposed to be underground. And the Tunnel Snakes were the 'gang' in the vault," she explained, holding up air quotes.

"You guys had a gang? Jesus."

"They didn't really do much. They literally walked around with their pocket knives and threatened people for fun. I actually punched their leader in the face once when he picked on Amata."

Maverick couldn't help but smirk. "Remind me not to get on your bad side."

Leyah lightly shoved him, but a grin was on her face.

They walked out of the monument's gate and Leyah let out a sigh as they made their way around the outskirts of the Mall. "You know what I wonder sometimes?" she said quietly.

Maverick wanted to chide her for talking while they were in Super Mutant territory, but he couldn't find the heart to at the moment. "What?"

She gestured to everything around them. "I wonder what this all looked like. It must have been amazing."

Maverick shrugged. "You can ask one of the ghouls sometime. Some of them could tell you because they're older than dirt." He pointed toward the Museum of History. "I'll take you there after all this shit with your dad is over. I bet the ghouls would love you."

Leyah looked up at him in confusion. "You mean you'll still want to be around me after we find my dad?"

"Well, seeing that you're the only decent person in the whole fucking wasteland, why not?"

Her look of confusion slowly became a beaming smile and Maverick's heart thudded in his chest.

Fuck, he was in big trouble.

* * *

The way back to GNR wasn't as bad as Leyah thought it would be. They only ran into a few feral ghouls down in the metro and Leyah found herself not shaking as bad. It wasn't much progress, but it was progress nonetheless.

They stepped out into the GNR plaza and Leyah had to use all of her willpower to not look at Maverick.

Her resolve to try not to get too close to him crumbled before they made it to the Washington Monument and she decided to just not care. She still had to act normal around him because, knowing him, he would find out why she was acting distant before she had a chance to explain herself.

Acting normal was easier than she anticipated too. At the end of it all, no matter what she felt, Maverick was still going to be his same old grumpy, sarcastic self.

Her good mood was slowly going sour as they walked up the stairs of the studio. A heavy hand on her shoulder halted her in her tracks. She glanced up at Maverick. "Yes?"

"I wasn't kidding before. Let me handle this."

Leyah shrugged. "Fine by me. I kind of want to see you rip someone a new one like you did to the knight at the library."

Maverick smirked. "Oh honey, you haven't seen anything."

Leyah's stomach involuntarily fluttered at the phrase and it took every ounce of her willpower to not blush. It was just another one of Maverick's catchphrases. He didn't mean anything by it.

They reached the top of the stairs and Leyah frowned when she saw Three Dog.

"Hey, all right! The Hero of the Wasteland returns!"

Leyah opened her mouth to make a snarky reply, but Maverick beat her to it.

"Yeah, yeah. She did it and it was a fuckin' thrill. Where is James Hunter?"

Three Dog's eyes widened from behind his glasses. "Look, there's no need to be hostile right now. I'll tell you all you need to know. Can't a man say his thanks?"

Maverick scoffed and towered over the man. "No. You can't when you fuckin' used her. It was pieces of shit like you that made me wonder why I fought my own battles. Now tell her where the Doctor is."

Three Dog's eyes widened even more. "Holy shit, you're Maverick Barrington aren't you? Sentinel Lyons said you were here yesterday. I didn't realize it was you and-"

"Where is her dad? Jesus, you're more annoying than your looped radio announcements."

"I-"

"I'm not going to ask again, asshole."

"Okay! They weren't kidding about you." He paused and looked around Maverick's bristling frame at Leyah. "He came here asking for information about what was going on in the wasteland. Then he said something about a Doctor Li in Rivet City and that is all I know."

Maverick sighed and gave the man a shove. "Now was that so fuckin' hard? Come on Vaultie. We can make it to Rivet City before it gets dark."

He started to walk down the stairs, but Leyah felt her stomach roll uncomfortably. She quickly turned around to face the radio announcer. "Thank you, Three Dog."

She didn't wait for him to reply.

Maverick gave her a disapproving look when she caught up with him down the stairs. "You're too nice."

"So?" she retorted, craning her neck to look up at him.

His hard look slowly softened as he let out a sigh. "Let's get going."

* * *

Why was she so damn nice?

Maverick kept asking himself that question even after they made it through the metro once again. And what was worse was that he was asking himself what he really thought of her now. The questions and thoughts he was thinking back at the Washington Monument were creeping back into his head and he couldn't ignore them. Yes, she was his friend, but the level of protectiveness he felt for her was different from what he had for Rachel.

He eventually shook the thoughts away and focused in on the situation at hand again. The metros were never easy to get through and he needed to focus.

Unfortunately, they ran into Raiders right before the exit. Nothing pissed Maverick off more than Raiders did. They literally did nothing for anything and they preyed on weak people.

Seriously, fuck them.

The door to the metro creaked open as he pushed against it.

Leyah, meanwhile, was doing her usual rambling as she searched a bag she picked off a dead Raider while following him. "Who are the Raiders anyway? Did they just decide that they wanted to screw everyone over one day or-"

The whine of a laser rifle made Maverick halt in his tracks and Leyah shut up.

A group of men in black armor was standing at the top of the metro stairs. "Well, well, if it isn't the little saint from the Vault. Someone's put a big price on your head," a nasally voice sneered.

Maverick quickly raised his shotgun and he heard a heavy thump as Leyah dropped the bag and then he heard a click from her rifle.

"Who are you?" Leyah bravely asked.

"They're Talon Company and that means we're in deep shit," Maverick grumbled as the guy kept talking.

"What? You think you can walk around doing the things you do and nobody is gonna notice? Time to die."

He heard Leyah start to talk, but Maverick decided that now wasn't the time for negotiations. The Talon Company wasn't known for that. He pulled a grenade out of his pack and pulled the pin and let it fly.

Maverick pulled Leyah back into the metro entryway as the grenade exploded. He then pushed her toward the corner before the mercs could recover and get a shot in.

They hid behind the corners near the entrance and reloaded their guns. "The Talon Company will do whatever it takes to get a job done. They're efficient and not as dumb as Raiders or Mutants. We need to be smart about this. How many grenades do you have left?"

Leyah quickly checked her pouch. "I only have three!"

"Fuck!"

They moved further into the metro when bullets started to ricochet off the ground.

"Leyah, I need you to take them out from here. I'll try to take the ones without ranged weapons out."

Leyah looked at him with wide eyes. "You want me to stay in here while you go out there?! Hell no!"

"But they'll keep us here until we run out of ammo and you said it yourself; you're a better shot. I'll have an advantage up close. I need you to do this," Maverick ordered, looking her in the eye.

Leyah looked back and Maverick could see the determination he was used to seeing slowly returning. She gave him a sharp nod. "Give me your pack."

Maverick quickly shucked it off and tossed it over to her. He took his last grenade out and peeked around the corner when the shots slowed down as the mercs reloaded their guns. "Ready?" he asked, cocking his shotgun.

She nodded and Maverick leapt out of the doorway and sprinted up the stairs. Leyah was able to take down the first merc that popped up. Maverick shot at the next one he saw and dove behind a pile of rubble.

A few bullets ricocheted off the edges of the concrete blocks as he reloaded his shot gun, and he prayed to God that Leyah would take care of the other bastards.

Another distinct 'pop' sounded and a cry of pain was Maverick's cue. He came from behind the pile of rubble only to come face to face with another merc, who was wielding a knife. Maverick's body moved on its own and he easily disarmed the bastard. He took the man's knife and shoved it into his throat at the weak point of the armor. He pulled it out and turned just in time to block another man's knife.

A searing hot pain suddenly bloomed on his right side and he quickly finished off the merc in front of him. He turned and Leyah took out the merc who shot him.

He looked down at his side, gently pressing with his fingers and breathed out a sigh of relief when he saw that the bullet had only grazed him. The pain was slowly becoming a throbbing ache instead. Luckily, Maverick has had worse and he knew how to keep functioning with things like this.

"Come out, Vaultie!" he called, walking over to a merc who was trying to crawl away. Maverick almost sighed. Leyah had missed her shot and only hit him in the arm. Oh well, it gave Maverick an opportunity at least.

The man's right arm hung uselessly and he was cussing up a storm as Maverick approached him. Maverick looked down at him for a moment, considering whether to stomp or not. But, these men wanted Leyah, his Vaultie, dead. That was not okay.

Maverick was momentarily startled at himself for thinking that way about the Vault girl, but he had more important matters to worry about.

He stomped on the man's arm.

The mercenary's shriek echoed throughout the Anacostia square. "I'm only going to ask this once; who sent you?"

"F-Fuck you man!"

Maverick rolled his eyes and shot the man in the head. "Fucker, I said 'once'," he grumbled, slinging the shotgun over his shoulder.

"Did he say anything?"

Maverick shook his head and squatted down, checking the man's pockets. His fingers brushed against paper and alarm bells started to go off in Maverick's head. He pulled the paper out, reading what was on the page. As he read, he instantly felt even more pissed than he was. "Who the fuck is B?" he grumbled, handing the paper to Leyah.

Leyah arched a brow and plucked the paper from his fingers. "What do you mean? And is your side okay? I was worried-"

"The bullet grazed me. I'll be fine, I've had worse."

She gave him an incredulous look. "Okay, but promise to let me look at it later. Those can get infected really fast and-"

She instantly fell silent as she read the paper. "Oh no," she breathed out. She groaned and wiped a hand down her face. "I guess he took me seriously."

"Who took you seriously? And about what?" Maverick asked, pocketing some ammo he took from the merc. He stood up and faced her, crossing his arms, wincing a little as his side stung.

Leyah's face turned a dark shade of pink and Maverick could literally see the steam coming out of her ears. "It's not important-"

"It's important enough to make some fucker want you dead. What's going on, Leyah?"

She coughed and scuffed her boot on the ground. "Well, there was this man named Burke at Megaton that wanted me to detonate the bomb. I obviously wasn't going to do that and I didn't want him to stick around to ask anyone else…so I pulled a move I saw from a pre-war holovideo from the vault."

Maverick really hoped this wasn't going where he thought this was going. "What did you do?"

"I might have—well, ya know—flirted with him a little. I talked him out of detonating the bomb and that was it. I got a few weird letters after he left but I didn't think about it a lot."

Maverick suddenly had an image of Leyah being seductive pop up in his head and he instantly pushed it away. She didn't think about him that way so he didn't need to be thinking about her that way.

But, Burke…that name rang a bell for Maverick. When it finally clicked, Maverick didn't know whether to hug Leyah for swindling one of the biggest bastards of the wasteland or to shake her for pissing off one of the biggest bastards of the wasteland.

He took neither option and just laughed at the absurdity of it all. Maverick couldn't believe it. Burke was Tenpenny's own right hand man and he was tricked by a naïve vault girl. "Holy shit! I never took Burke as desperate! You must have put on a show if you outwitted him," he wheezed, clutching his sides.

Leyah huffed, crossing her arms and turning away from him. "I'm not an idiot about that stuff. I know how to flirt. I dated in the vault," she grumbled, walking toward the nearest dead body.

Maverick suddenly wanted to know the little punk's name so he could go to the vault and kick his ass, but his mouth beat him to the punch. "I bet you don't."

Maverick instantly regretted his words. He knew Leyah never backed down from a challenge. And he didn't need to see her Burke-seducing skills in action; that was dangerous territory at the moment.

Leyah slowly turned around and Maverick regretted his words even more. Her eyes were hooded as she sauntered back over to him and it took all of Maverick's willpower to not look at her hips. She stopped in front of him and looked up at him through her eyelashes. She picked at the collar of his shirt. "Wanna bet?" she asked, lowering the pitch of her voice.

She stood up on the tips of her toes, bringing her face a little closer to his. "I'm not as naïve as you think I am, Sentinel." Her eyes were now flashing teasingly at him before she winked and turned away.

Maverick would have actually have enjoyed the touch if it wasn't for the wound on his side. "Wow, Burke must have really been desperate," he said, deadpan. That act did things that he wished it didn't.

It was enough to make Leyah bark out a laugh and the moment was over. She picked up his pack from where she dropped it and tossed it to him. "Come on, we've gotta get a stimpak for that wound and we have a scientist to talk to. Hopefully my jerk of a dad is waiting inside."

She smiled at him and started to walk toward the carrier and Maverick didn't know whether he should be happy or upset about the warm feeling that flooded his chest from the action.

He was in deeper shit than he thought.


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N:**_ Holy shit, I just realized that I actually _didn't_ update this fic back when I wrote this part like I thought I did. I recently got inspired for this one again and, well, I'm human. I also was super stressed with school and night classes I was taking and I now work the night shift at my new job, so fanfiction has been the last thing on my mind. I only now have had the time to write stuff for Dragon Age and this poor fic got put on the back burner. I'm going to try to update this more regularly from now on. Poor Mav and Leyah. I need to get the tension building between them again.

* * *

Leyah didn't know how she mustered up the courage to do what she just did, but she couldn't think about it at the moment. Maverick got hurt because she was hesitant with her shot and she had to make it up to him somehow. And, her dad may finally be in reach. After weeks of searching, she almost didn't know what to think.

Maverick pointed toward a loading dock nearby. "Come on, to get into the city we need to go there." He winced in pain again and cursed as he started to lead her toward it.

Leyah marched forward so she was walking beside him and she kept glancing at his side. "Are you sure it just grazed you? I can take a look if—"

"Calm down, Vaultie."

Leyah rolled her eyes, asking herself if she really expected any other answer.

The old carrier was constantly creaking and Leyah didn't know whether she should be nervous about wanting to get inside the thing or not. A man sitting near the top of the dock looked up as they approached. "W-water…please. I need…" He started to hack and cough.

Leyah ignored Maverick's warning glance and dug into her pack for two of the many bottles of purified water Wadsworth was able to give her back at Megaton. She held it out to the sick man. "Here, it's not much, but it's not irradiated."

This man was just like Micky back at Megaton and she couldn't stop herself from helping him either.

"I can just have it? I don't have much…I can't really—"

"I insist," Leyah interrupted, stepping toward where Maverick was impatiently tapping his foot near the intercom.

She gave the man a little wave and looked up at Maverick expectantly.

He gave her a sarcastic grin. "I still don't understand you," he grumbled.

Leyah would have been offended, but she happened to notice the humorous gleam in his eye. "Likewise."

Maverick barked out a laugh before pressing the intercom button, resting his other hand above it. Leyah noticed that he was leaning heavily on his hand and a frown darkened her features. She knew it, the wound was worse than he was letting on. "Maverick, seriously can I look at it?"

He huffed. "Vaultie, we are almost to a clinic. Once we get there, you can play doctor all you want because I'm sure as hell not paying the bastard that works there."

"What's wrong with the doctor there?" she asked, leaning forward to inspect his side.

"He and I don't get along."

Leyah looked at him in fake bewilderment. "You? Not getting along with someone? Shocker."

Maverick gave her a hard look and it took every ounce of her willpower to keep from laughing. Now was not the time.

He looked away from her and glared at the intercom, pressing the button again. "What the hell, Harkness?"

"Hello?"

"Release the bridge you prick! I know you can see us you son of a-"

"Alright Maverick, don't get your panties in a twist."

Maverick started to grumble under his breath while Leyah gave him an exasperated look. Honestly, couldn't he be polite for once?

A heavy creaking sound and a deep rumble caused her to look toward the carrier again. A large bridge was now swinging its way around toward the loading dock they were on. It stopped in front of them with a deep groan. Leyah didn't trust it at all.

"People seriously think this is safe?"

"And living around a big ass bomb is?"

Dammit, he was right again. He stumbled a little as he stepped on the bridge and Leyah couldn't stop herself from reaching out and wrapping an arm around his waist carefully to help him. "I'm not that weak, Leyah."

"Just let me do this, you jerk. It's my fault you got hurt in the first place," she grumbled back.

His chest shook as he laughed a little before grunting in pain again. "I can definitely say that I wasn't shot. I know what that feels like and this isn't even close."

"I don't care."

He gently pushed her away as they approached the carrier.

"Who's with you, Maverick?" a sharp voice called out.

Leyah gulped when she saw three men pointing rifles at them. Before she could stop herself, she reached out and clutched her fist into the back of Maverick's shirt. Shit, she really had to stop doing that.

"Relax, Harkness. She's with me. Now, we just had a run in with the Talon Company and we need a place to stay so stop being a pain in the ass," Maverick snapped.

The lead man, Harkness, lowered his rifle. "Talon Company?! What did they want with you?"

"I piss people off all the time Harkness, don't you know that?" Maverick retorted, putting his hand on Leyah's shoulder and squeezing.

Leyah resisted the urge to look up at him. Why was he lying about the Talon Company? And why did he want her to stay quiet?

"Whatever, you can go in. The market just closed though so you won't be able to do business until tomorrow."

Maverick nodded toward the man and led Leyah toward one of the doors behind the men. He gestured toward the one on the left and Leyah opened it for them. They walked into the stairwell and Maverick gestured toward the one leading up. "Go get a room at the Weatherly Hotel. I'm going to get a stimpak and I'll meet you up there."

Leyah wasn't having it. "But I have stimpaks and-"

"Vaultie, please don't argue with me."

"Fine, whatever," she huffed, stomping up the stairs. She couldn't stop grumbling as she made her way up. "Stupid man, just wants to prove how tough he his and go by himself. I can't even-"

She paused when a thought suddenly crossed her mind. "Wait...Weatherly?"

A gasp escaped her lips before she basically sprinted up the steps.

All thoughts of Maverick being irritating were forgotten.

* * *

Maverick honestly didn't want her to see him having trouble to go up the stairs. He finally took that chance to take a peek at the damage to replace the clumsy inspection he did earlier. He gingerly lifted up his shirt and cursed. The graze was a little deeper than he anticipated. Leyah had every right to be worried now.

Deciding to get the torture over with, he slowly started to make his way up the stairs too. Every breath he took was starting to hurt a little. He finally made it to the next floor and he slowly stumbled toward the Weatherly Hotel. It had been about a year since Maverick last visited Rivet City and nothing changed, just like the rest of the wasteland.

Still, it wasn't a complete piece of shit and it was safer than the usual settlement.

He finally reached the hotel lobby and his eyes widened when he saw Leyah talking to Vera still. The vault dweller's back was turned to him, but he could tell that she was happy from the way her hands were moving as they talked. Oh shit, they're gossiping.

As he got closer, he realized that they weren't gossiping in any way whatsoever.

"I'm so glad that Bryan is okay! Thank you for going out of your way for him. I'll ask Harkness to send some men out to get him right away."

Leyah rubbed the back of her head. "It was no big deal. I was traveling nearby when he stopped me. I was more than happy to help."

Oh, they were talking about the Wilks kid she helped. Maverick suddenly realized what just happened. Leyah found a home for the poor kid. He remembered being incredulous when she told him about her little suicide mission into the metro. Teaches him to be incredulous about anything Leyah did.

No wonder Tenpenny and Burke hated her. She helped the people they despised.

A warm feeling started to fill his chest as he stared at the girl. Dammit, she really was just too damn nice, but that was one of the many things that made her stand out from the typical wastelander. That's what made her Leyah.

The warm feeling abruptly left when he came upon a realization. Someone who was as good as her would never consider a cranky, old loner like him. Leyah turned around, catching his eye. She smiled at him before turning back to Vera.

Maverick saw her hand over the caps and she got the key to a room.

"Thanks, Vera!"

Leyah walked around the desk, dangling the key in front of her. "We're in room four."

Maverick's heart hardened and irritation boiled in his gut when he saw Vera give them a wide eyed look. Shit. "You take the room, Vaultie. I'll get my own."

Leyah arched a brow at him. "Why? That's just extra caps wasted. Besides, we need to count the stuff we scaved and-"

"There's only one bed in these rooms, Leyah," he interrupted, shooting a hard look at Vera. Leyah didn't need that woman telling everyone that they were fucking or something. Leyah was better than that.

Leyah's eyes widened in an almost comical way. "Oh."

"Yeah, go get settled down. I'll-"

"You can still stay in my room. We don't have to share the bed you know. I can sleep on the floor or something."

The temptation to give into her offer was greater than he thought it would be. That and his side was starting to hurt like a fucking bitch and he didn't feel like arguing. He finally sighed and just walked out of the hotel, heading down to room four.

"Better tell your new best friend about our nonexistent relationship then, Vaultie."

* * *

Leyah huffed before following Maverick out of the lobby. She honestly didn't give a mole rat's ass about what people thought about her and Maverick. As far as she knew, sex wasn't a private thing in the wasteland anyway so it probably wouldn't matter even if she did deny it.

Her head was honestly starting to hurt from thinking about it too much.

This day felt like the longest in her life and she just wanted to lie in bed and sleep for 12 hours. But, she had to help Maverick first. Then, find Doctor Li. Leyah was honestly on the fence about meeting the scientist. She wanted to find her dad, but there was still a little part of her that told her that he abandoned her and didn't want her.

"A cap?"

Leyah realized that she had stopped in the middle of the hallway and Maverick was looking at her suspiciously. "Huh?"

"For your thoughts? I know you're not stupid but you just stopped in the middle of the hallway for no reason."

Leyah made the mistake of looking at his eyes and she immediately looked away when she felt her cheeks beginning to flush. "I'll tell you later. Let's get you fixed up."

Maverick opened his mouth to reply, but seemed to think against it because he shut it just as quickly. Gesturing toward the door, he gave her a sardonic, "After you."

Leyah rolled her eyes, playfully punching his shoulder before inserting the key.

"Hey, you're being abusive again."

Leyah snorted out a laugh. "Oh please, that's making up for all the times you told me I suck."

"In my defense, you did a lot of things shitty when I did say you suck," he mocked.

Before she could stop herself, she stuck her tongue out at him petulantly before opening the door.

"How grown up of you."

"Don't get me started Mr. 'I kick people out of the house for dumb reasons'."

Maverick sighed. "You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"No, because you could have easily told me why you didn't want to talk about it and you going to Megaton to find me could have been avoided," Leyah snarked, tossing her pack on the bed. She turned and planted her fists on her hips. "Shirt off."

Maverick stiffened and Leyah had to actually think to keep her face straight. It was funny to see him that surprised.

"What?"

"Uh, do I have to remind you that you got grazed by a bullet earlier? Shirt off. You need a stimpak."

Maverick shook his head. "No, we are not wasting a stimpak on this. Just give me some Med-X and some bandages and-"

"Maverick Barrington, I literally have 20 some stimpaks on me and I know you know that so stop making excuses and let me treat you," Leyah barked impatiently. Why did he have to be so difficult?!

He stared at her, deadpan, for many moments before he finally dropped his pack. He unclipped his armor and carefully set it nearby before slowly pulling his shirt over his head.

Well, Leyah was right about what she thought this morning. He was in very good shape for his age. Shaking the thought from her head, she focused on the task at hand. The wound wasn't even a quarter of an inch deep, but it was enough. The only reason he wasn't bleeding profusely was because the bullet cauterized the wound.

"Sit on the bed," she quietly instructed, digging into her pack.

Right after Maverick kicked her out, Leyah made it a small mission to get as many stimpaks as she could, which led her to do the crazy things Moira needed for her book. She pulled a stimpak and Med-X out of the little bag she kept them in and stepped in front of Maverick.

Now that Moira was on her mind… "Remind me to ask the people here about the history of this place after we talk to Doctor Li," she said, tapping his right arm.

He lifted it and sighed in boredom, looking away. "Sure thing, Vaultie. I'm not going to even ask why."

The doctor in her was fascinated with his musculature. The closest thing she had seen compared to this was the anatomy models in the books her dad taught her with. His chest and shoulders were wide and muscle corded every part of his torso. There was a splash of wiry dark hair on his chest that led a small trail down toward his navel. His hips were narrow compared to everything else. Light scars littered his skin as well and Leyah found herself wondering how he got them.

She immediately looked away; face burning as she reached for the syringe of Med-X she pulled out.

"Don't bother. Just stick the stimpak in," Maverick ordered, waving the Med-X away.

Leyah sighed in exasperation, readying the stimpak. "Fine, but I better not hear you whine afterward."

Maverick arched a brow at her. "Oh please," he snorted.

Taking a deep breath, she tentatively reached out and rested her left hand gently on his skin. It almost seemed too warm and it felt like a shock was traveling up her arm. She forced herself to focus and she pressed the needle of the stimpak in just above the wound. She emptied the contents and set the empty stimpak aside.

The way his flesh and skin started to knit together before her eyes forced her to stare. They never had an injury that needed stimpaks in the vault, so she never saw them in action. "Wow," she breathed, the scientist in her taking over.

"I wonder what proteins and chemicals they use to make these. The enzymes themselves must be powerful. And to have the ribosomes read your mRNA right away…" She trailed off, peering at Maverick's now-healed side. She suddenly realized that she was probably way closer than she needed to be and she backed away. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's alright, Leyah," Maverick chuckled, standing up as he grabbed his shirt. He turned away from her as he got his shirt situated.

If Leyah thought his front was impressive, his back was even more so. More light scars covered his tan skin and Leyah found herself intrigued again. His muscles bunched and rippled as he pulled his shirt on.

"Alright, let's talk to Dr. Li," he said, grabbing his shotgun.

The doubt from before came back full throttle. "Mav?"

"What have I told you about calling me-"

"What if my dad doesn't want to be found? He obviously abandoned me and he's making it hard for anyone to find him apparently. What if he's here and he doesn't want to see me?" It felt good to say how she felt aloud, but she knew she probably wasn't going to get the answer she wanted from Maverick.

He surprised her when he rested a hand on her shoulder. "Leyah, you were hell-bent on finding him when we met. Why are you changing your mind?"

Leyah looked up and was forced to look him in the eye. "I-I don't know. I just don't think he wants to see me anymore and I just found myself wondering why I was putting myself through all of this if he doesn't and-"

"Okay, can I tell you a little secret? Most people would have literally given everything they had to have what you and your dad had in the vault. I don't know how your dad pulled it off, but he did. Now why do you think he would do something that is considered damn near impossible?"

Leyah stiffened and her lips hardened into a straight line. Yeah, it explained that her dad might actually care for her, but it didn't explain why her dad left. "Yeah, but why did he leave me if he found such a perfect place for me, huh? Why would he leave if he loved me so much? What is more important than his own daughter?!" she snapped.

Maverick's face was expressionless as he stared at her for a moment and it took everything Leyah had to not start crying from frustration. These thoughts were creeping into her head more and more and it was hard to feel optimistic when they were there.

"Do you really think he doesn't care about you? Because I know what that's like and its worse than shit," he finally stated, staring at her intensely.

Leyah suddenly realized what she must have sounded like to him, considering what she knew about his dad. "I…I'm sorry. I sound like a brat and-"

"Don't even. You're the last person I would call a brat," he interrupted, slinging his shotgun over his shoulder.

He squeezed her shoulder and gestured toward the door. "Now, let's go talk to Doctor Li and see if your dad has been hiding in this old tub this whole time."


	8. Chapter 8

The wheels in Maverick's head were still turning as he led Leyah toward the science lab. Why would she suddenly start thinking this way? She had been optimistic ever since he met her and now he was starting to see the wear and tear of the wasteland starting to settle in. For some reason, that bothered him.

Leyah had not said anything hinting that she thought that way until last night at the GNR station. From the little information he knew about Leyah's childhood with her father, he knew that they had a good relationship. He could tell from the very way she talked when she told him a few stories about her dad in Springvale.

Whatever made James leave the vault had to be colossal. Maverick knew Leyah knew this, but he also knew that keeping frustrations and doubts like that inside could make someone go fucking crazy.

Maverick halted in front of the door and glanced back at her. Leyah looked nervous and she was biting at her thumbnail. She looked up at him and Maverick almost felt sorry for her when he saw the doubt in her eyes.

"Leyah, you went through damn metro tunnels, raiders, and fucking mutants to get here. Don't let your own mind freak you out now," he ordered, opening the door.

He held it open for her and let her walk in before him before shutting it behind them. She halted at the top of the stairs and looked around. He could hear the deep sigh leaving her lips over the whirring of the various machines below. Leyah's shoulders slumped down and he could see her deflating.

James wasn't here.

Not knowing what else to do, Maverick stepped forward and gently rested a hand on her lower back and pushed. "Come on, Leyah. Let's find out what we can and plan from there."

Leyah let out a soft laugh. "Wow, and here I was thinking that you would be cussing up a storm right now."

Maverick actually was pissed that James wasn't here because there were very few safe places the bastard could be and he was not at most of them apparently. And, he was pissed at how that caused the defeated look Leyah had right now. She didn't need his usual grumpy self at the moment. She needed a damn friend.

"I know when and when not to be an asshole," he retorted, stepping down the stairs.

"Really? I couldn't tell."

Maverick couldn't help but grin.

He stood to the side as Leyah talked to Doctor Li. He was tempted to step in more than once when he saw how distressed Leyah became a couple times. He looked around the lab and noticed a shady old man standing with a bodyguard in the corner. Maverick narrowed at his eyes before looking around the rest of the lab. He couldn't help but look for exits and possible threats in any room he went into now. He was never taught to think otherwise.

Leyah finally stepped away and made her way toward Maverick, looking exhausted. "He might be at the Jefferson Memorial. That's where his old project was at least."

Maverick frowned. "Shit, you were right last night. We should have-"

"You were right though, about finding out all that you can. I know why he was there and what might have happened now. And we can get supplies."

They started to head toward the exit of the lab. "I remember a big ass project being there, but the Brotherhood members weren't allowed to talk about it with Initiates. What was he working on?"

Leyah huffed out a laugh, stopping in her tracks and looking up at him. "You know, a lot of the things he did in the vault makes sense now. He used to be obsessed with how the water purifiers worked. That's what they were working on there, he and my mom."

Water purifiers? "You mean they were trying to clean the nasty ass water?"

"I guess. That would take something colossal to clean out all of the radiation. I—"

A bony, gnarly hand grabbing her arm stopped the sentence in its tracks.

Maverick's arms moved before his mind could process what was happening and he had his shotgun pointed in the old bastard's face before he could say anything. The bodyguard behind the old shit had his gun pointed as well.

"Hey! No fighting in my lab!" Doctor Li shrieked.

Leyah ripped her arm from the old man's grasp. "What the fu-"

"If you would kindly ask your companion to lower his gun, perhaps I'll introduce myself," the old man huffed, glaring at Maverick over his spectacles.

Leyah's lips pinched into a thin line. "Not until your guy lowers his."

_Good girl,_ Maverick thought, cocking his gun.

The old man waved off his bodyguard and Maverick only lowered his shotgun when the bastard had his strapped onto his back again.

The man turned out to be Doctor Zimmer and he was looking for an android. Maverick crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes. He didn't like the sound of this. Androids were shady business in the first place and there was a reason why the Brotherhood avoided that technology.

People shouldn't try to create synthetic life. It never went well.

It made sense that the android would run away though. If something was created to think like a human, it was going to react as a human. It was plain as shit and Zimmer obviously couldn't see it.

Leyah's smile was fake and Maverick wondered what she was up to when she agreed to help find the robot.

They finally walked out of the lab and Maverick grabbed her upper arm to stop her. "What are you up to?"

Leyah's face turned grim. "I'm going to find that android and warn him. He deserves to know that Zimmer is on his heels."

Maverick nodded in approval. "Good. Androids are bad news in the first place. Its bastards like Zimmer that make my skin crawl."

"I think they're fascinating in theory, but only that. Theory. The way Zimmer was talking about the android made me a little angry. How can you expect something to still act like a robot when it's programed to think like a human? It's stupid."

Maverick knew he liked her for a reason.

Leyah ended up going back to the Weatherly Hotel lobby to start asking about the history of the old tub and Maverick decided that it was high time for a drink.

He found himself looking at the old bartender while he nursed his whiskey in the corner of the old bar and he knew he was in over his head when he found himself standing up and walking over to her. He knew she thought he was crazy when he asked about the history of Rivet City.

Rachel would have been tickled pink to see him going out of his way for someone.

He also would have owed her 20 caps because he bet he would never do that.


	9. Chapter 9

"Oh shit," Leyah grumbled.

The duo immediately set out for the Jefferson Memorial right after they visited the market and of course things were already looking grim. The large yellow shapes of Super Mutants could be seen in the distance. Some were on the bluff overlooking the memorial and there were more on the scaffolding outside the building.

She heard Maverick curse and he pulled out the parts for his sniper rifle from his pack. "I think there's a woman up there. The muties take prisoners sometimes…goddammit and I thought today was going to be a good one."

Leyah shrugged and put a scope they were able to buy from Flak on her own rifle. "I think it's my fault."

Maverick snorted, glancing over at her. "How?"

"Well, like you said outside Arlington, my luck is shit."

She felt proud of herself when she saw Maverick barely hold back a laugh. She found herself trying to make him laugh more often lately. The way he smiled and how his eyes crinkled up always made him look 10 years younger and he actually looked happy.

Leyah knew she was getting in over her head, but she didn't have time to truly worry about that right now. She could sort out feelings and all that bullshit after she found her dad.

Wow, now she knew she was hanging around Maverick too much.

She used to never curse before leaving the Vault, now she was almost like the typical wastelander.

They set up behind a large pile of rubble and Leyah looked through her scope toward the bluff. Sure enough, there was a Super Mutant with a minigun standing near a tied up woman.

"What's the plan, Super Soldier?" she asked, glancing toward Maverick, who now had his sniper rifle set up on top of the rubble.

"I'm going to take out the muties on the scaffolding to draw the bastards on the bluff toward them. That way they'll all be in one area."

Leyah nodded and dug around her pack for a moment.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to help that woman."

"And how the fuck do you plan to do that?"

Leyah pulled out one of the many Stealthboys she had managed to find over the last few weeks. "While you distract them, I'm going to go up there and free her."

"Leyah, no. There could be more up there."

"They won't be able to see me. I do know how to sneak around you know."

"No."

"I'm not going to be much help down here. My gun won't be able to shoot that far."

"I don't give a shit. You're not going up there alone."

Leyah frowned and stubbornly stuck the Stealthboy to the front of her jumpsuit. "I'm not some dumb Initiate you can boss around you know."

"No, you're my friend and would be shitty of me to let you do this. Sit the fuck down."

Leyah held his hard stare for many moments before finally ducking down behind the rubble.

Maverick started to shoot and Leyah peeked around the side of the rubble, impressed with how he was able to take down the mutants on the scaffolding from their position. Sure enough, the mutants on the bluff started to race toward the memorial and Maverick took them out on the way.

"Alright, now for the big bastard," Maverick said, reloading the rifle.

Leyah then did something she didn't think she would have the courage to do. She activated the Stealthboy, cursing when she saw that the extra big Mutant was still standing next to the woman.

"Vaultie? Leyah, fuck, get back here!"

Leyah quickly crept away before Maverick could kick up dirt and find her. Maverick cursed and started to shoot toward the mutant to catch its attention as Leyah made her way up the trail. She finally reached the camp and had to hold back a gag when she saw the bags full of gory limbs and organs.

Fucking hell, why did they do this?

The Mutant with the minigun was now shooting toward where Maverick was and Leyah looked around. She let out a silent sigh of relief when she saw that it was the only mutant there. She snuck up behind it and lifted her rifle so that it was aiming at the back of his head and pulled the trigger…only to have it stop on her.

She stared down at it in horror. This could NOT be happening right now. The mutant unfortunately heard the click of the trigger and he turned around, kicking up dirt. Leyah quickly dove behind a dilapidated wall, gasping in pain when bullets whizzed by her bicep and calf.

Shit, shit, shit, shit. Leyah quickly pulled out her 10mm pistol and waited for the mutant to reload before peering around the edge of the wall. Thankfully, the Overseer's pistol was still in good shape and shot true and the mutant finally fell to the ground with a bullet in its brain.

Leyah deactivated the Stealthboy and peered around the wall again. "Hey," she said breathlessly at the woman.

The woman was sobbing now and Leyah quickly moved toward her, trying to ignore the stinging in her arm and leg. She cut the woman loose.

"Leyah!"

Leyah helped the woman to her feet, looking over her shoulder to see Maverick sprinting toward them.

"What the fuck happened?"

"My rifle's trigger got stuck. Everything's okay."

Maverick didn't look pleased in the least. "No, it's not fucking okay. Do you know what I thought when I saw that bastard turn around and—" He started to pace and he looked so angry that he couldn't speak. He ran his fingers through his hair. "I thought he got you. Son of a bitch! Never a-fuckin-gain. Hear me? We go in together from now on. Don't ever pull a stunt like that again."

Leyah stared at him in shock. She knew Maverick could be protective, but he almost seemed…afraid. Afraid and Maverick was never something Leyah would have put together. Biting her lip, she gently reached out and grabbed at the sleeve of his shirt, forcing him to stop and look at her.

Yes, that was fear she saw in his eyes. Leyah was surprised to feel her heart stutter and her stomach flutter at the thought. He was that worried about _her._ She knew she told herself that she couldn't think about this stuff now, but good God did she want to.

"I'm sorry."

He stared at her for many moments and he surprised her when he pulled her close and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, tucking her against his side. "Never again," he repeated, letting out a long sigh.

He let her go and looked at the shaken woman standing nearby. "Where are you from?" he asked, squatting down to take apart his sniper rifle.

Leyah stepped forward and winced when she felt her arm and leg sting. She knew the bullets never made contact, but the heat of them still burned her skin. She ignored the pain and started to inspect the woman for injuries. She seemed fine, just shocked.

"I was from Big Town," she squeaked, letting Leyah check on her.

Maverick's brows pinched. "Big Town, huh? I've heard of it."

Leyah wondered why he was acting so nice as he kept asking her questions, but remembered that the Brotherhood must have done this with the people they saved in the past. He had told her that he enjoyed helping people with the Brotherhood, hence why he helped Sarah start the Pride. She was happy to see this new side of him.

"Yeah…t-the mutants…they t-took me and—" the woman's lips started to quiver as more tears trailed down her cheeks.

Leyah gave the woman a bottle of water and they waited until she stopped shaking. "What's your name?"

The woman wiped some dirt from her dark skin, giving Leyah a shaky grin. "Daisy."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Leyah," Leyah grinned, holding out her hand.

Daisy shook it, looking bewildered. "You're the nicest people I've met since leaving Little Lamplight."

Maverick snorted. "She's nice. Too nice if you ask me," he grumbled, carefully putting the pieces of his rifle in his pack.

Leyah then argued with Daisy about keeping supplies and not needing anything in return for helping her. Maverick was fixing Leyah's rifle the whole time they debated.

"Really, keep them. We have plenty," Leyah insisted.

Daisy bit her lip and shakily held the pistol, ammo, and one stimpak she had to her chest.

"Go to Rivet City. Press on the intercom and tell the man named Harkness that Maverick and Leyah helped you and sent you there. If you're still out there when we get back, I'll kick his ass for you," Maverick ordered, slinging his pack over his shoulder.

"Y-yes! Thank you," Daisy squeaked. She followed them back down to the main road and Leyah watched the woman until she saw her tiny form make it to the loading dock. They only started moving again when they saw the bridge start to swing around.

"You got hit."

Leyah looked back at a scowling Maverick. She held up her arm, seeing the scorch marks running across her tricep. "Not really. I think I just got a little burnt."

"Remind me to start looking for new armor when we are able to trade again. You need something better than that damn jumpsuit," Maverick growled, turning to make his way toward Jefferson Memorial.

Leyah tugged on the end of her ponytail as she caught up with him. "Maverick, I really am sorry about earlier. I—"

"Don't."

Shit, he was still mad at her.

Leyah knew they could have saved Daisy using a different tactic and she wondered why she was so adamant about doing it the way they did. _You didn't want to feel useless while Maverick played super soldier_, a tiny voice hissed in her mind.

Leyah once again was reminded of how much younger she was then almost everyone out here when it came to survival and how the real world worked.

She remained quiet as they entered the memorial only to find more Super Mutants. Leyah was almost frantic by the time they reached the rotunda. She had to use every ounce of focus she had to stick to her and Maverick's usual tactics and listen to his orders. This couldn't be happening. She couldn't have come this far only to find her dad's body.

A huge tank stood in the middle of the rotunda and Leyah raced up the stairs and looked around.

It seemed as if every part of her was sinking to the floor.

He wasn't here either.

"Leyah."

She glanced down to see Maverick gesture toward a door nearby. "He may be downstairs," he suggested quietly.

James wasn't downstairs either. All they found were Centaurs, more Mutants, and junk.

"Fuck," Leyah hissed, looking into every room in a hallway.

She halted in her tracks when she looked into a room to see holotapes and a half empty bottle of scotch. Her dad loved scotch.

"Maverick!" she called out, picking up the holotape at the top of the stack.

"What?"

Leyah stuck the tape into her Pip-boy and listened intently. Some of the tapes were from before she was born while others were made recently. One made her stiffen up. Instead of her dad's voice, it was her mom's. She knew because she almost thought it was her own voice for a moment.

Her heart swelled and her throat closed up when she heard how happy and hopeful her mom sounded.

She and Maverick stood in silence for a moment and Leyah couldn't stop the tears from trailing down her cheeks.

"You both laugh the same," Maverick suddenly stated, breaking the silence.

Leyah scrunched up her nose as she wiped her tears away. Her mom had a girly, squeaky laugh. She really didn't sound like that…did she? "No I don't."

Maverick suddenly poked her side, causing her to let out a giggle.

Leyah's face fell in mortification while he just smugly grinned at her. Oh God, she and her mom _did_ have the same laugh. Confusion slowly took the place of her horror. Wait, did this mean Maverick wasn't mad at her anymore?

Maverick stepped back out into the hallway. "C'mon. There may be more of those holotapes lying around here."

Tucking some loose flyaways behind her ear, Leyah followed. Her frustration started to slowly disappear as she kept listening to the holotapes. If anything they only increased her curiosity about the whole project. It truly was fascinating and it was incredible to think that it was almost possible.

She glanced up at Maverick as they listened to the last holotape they found. He had brought his fingers toward his mouth and his brow was furrowed as he listened intently. His rugged features were shadowed in the dim lighting and Leyah felt a fluttery feeling form low in her belly. She quickly turned her attention back to the holotape and was able to catch that her dad thought the G.E.C.K was in Vault 112.

"Well, this holotape was made a week ago. He could be on his way back by now," Maverick guessed, glancing over at her.

Leyah tilted her head as she thought. "Or he could be hurt somewhere."

Maverick sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as they both thought about what they should do.

Well, they knew where James was, that was a start. "Leyah, from what I can tell, your dad can take care of himself. I suggest we leave for a few days and come back to check to see if he's here. If not, we head out to Vault 112. It will give us a chance to restock and make a plan before making that trip."

Leyah nodded, biting her lip as she stared down at the holotape. She had a nagging feeling that her dad wasn't okay, but she knew what Maverick said made sense. They didn't have the supplies, ammo, and apparently in her case, the armor needed for a trip like that. Taking a deep breath, she started to walk back down to her dad's room. "Let me leave him a note, just so he knows I'm out here. Then we can head back to Rivet City."

He nodded and Leyah hurried down the stairs to scribble a quick note before meeting him in the rotunda again.

"Ready?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah."

The walk back to Rivet City was tense and silent between them. Leyah kicked at a pebble, biting her lip. She didn't want it to be like this between them. "Maverick?"

"Hm?"

"I really am sorry about earlier. I was trying to play hero and wasn't thinking about the consequences," she mumbled, tugging at the cuff of her jumpsuit sleeve.

Maverick sighed. "I'm not mad. I just…what happened just reminded me of some bad shit, that's all."

Leyah's heart dropped when the pieces finally fell into place in her head. She remembered how he told her what he was scared of in the Metro when she was terrified herself.

"_I'm scared of losing people…that was my worst fear whenever I went out on a patrol or mission. I would look at the members of the squad or the Pride and wonder 'Who will make it back?' and it was terrifying."_

She could understand why he would feel that way now. He was the leader of those groups. It would have been his responsibility to make sure they were safe and came back alive and he probably blamed himself if they didn't.

She was such a damn idiot.

"Mav-"

"Don't. Let's just get back."

Leyah halted in her tracks, hands balling into fists at her side.

"No! Don't just brush me off like that. I—"

"I thought you knew that I don't get touchy feely about shit like this, Vaultie!" he snapped.

Vaultie…she was Vaultie again.

"Why do you have to be like this?! I thought friends were allowed to talk shit out!"

"Not this shit."

"Bullshit!" she exclaimed, stomping her foot. She knew she was acting like a brat, but she didn't care. "Just tell me what the problem is?! I don't want it to be tense like this between us. What do I have to—"

"You can't do anything about it! That's probably not going to be the last time we'll be in a situation like that and I just—I just—I…" he trailed off and shook his head. "I just need to get over it."

Leyah rolled her eyes. "Quit the macho bullshit. You have no other guys to impress out here and I sure as hell don't find that impressive," she spat.

His flashing blue-green eyes met hers and Leyah forced herself to hold the stare, glaring as hard as she could.

Finally, his eyes started to soften and his face fell and Leyah could see the weariness settle in. He let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "You never know when to quit, you know that?"

"If I did, we wouldn't be here," she retorted, crossing her arms.

He huffed out a tired laugh. "No…we wouldn't." His eyes met hers again. "What do you want me to say, Leyah? You're not the damn problem. The whole fucking wasteland is."

"I just wanted to know what was wrong. And I can't help if you shut me out. I can't read minds."

The young Vault girl suddenly realized that they had stepped close to each other as they argued and they were now standing inches apart. Every part of her body seemed hyper aware of his presence and Leyah felt like her blood was simmering from the energy that awareness provided.

Maverick finally sighed and reached up, tucking a lock of hair that escaped from her ponytail behind her ear. The backs of his fingers brushed her skin and it felt as if her skin was tingling where he touched. "I was scared today. When that mutant started shooting toward where I thought you were…Fuck, all I could see was that Knight we saw in front of GNR."

Leyah's heart was racing when she realized that his hand never lowered. Before she could really think, Leyah was moving forward and wrapping her arms around his torso. She pressed her face into his shirt. She inhaled and his unique, musky, metallic scent overwhelmed her senses. She pushed the feelings that it caused aside and focused on the task at hand. She knew he would never admit that it worked, but she felt that he needed a hug more than anything.

One of his arms slowly wrapped around her shoulders and he pulled her even closer.

After what seemed like hours, he finally started to pull away and Leyah stepped back. Their eyes met again and Leyah was surprised to see sadness settle in his eyes. He quickly looked away and started to head toward Rivet City again. "C'mon. I was told that an old bastard named Pinkerton in the shitty part of the ship would know more about the history."

Leyah couldn't help but grin as she hitched her pack higher on her back and followed him.

"You asked around?"

"I might have mentioned it to the bartender last night."

A light, fluttery feeling settled in Leyah's chest and she just basked in it as they walked up to the door leading into the half sunken part of the ship.

She was starting to get in over her head when it came to her feelings, but she found herself not caring.


	10. Chapter 10

Pinkerton turned out to be another asshole, not to Maverick's surprise.

And he appreciated Leyah's ability to bullshit through a conversation as she praised the bastard on his scientific prowess, allowing them access to his terminal.

"How did you know what to say?" Maverick asked as he leaned against the wall next to the terminal.

Leyah smirked. "Well, he kind of reminds me of the Overseer in the Vault. They'll do anything if you butter them up a bit and tell them how great they think they are." She typed something into the terminal and a frown suddenly came to her lips. "Huh, that's interesting."

"What is it?"

"Hold on…"

Maverick studied her as she stared at the screen. Her big, heavily lashed blue eyes scanned the screen fervently and her lips pursed as she narrowed her eyes. She stared down the slightly long bridge of her nose as what she read made her more upset.

Now that he was closely looking at her, he realized that while she lacked the qualities of a typical attractive woman, she was still attractive regardless. Everything about her just seemed to fit together perfectly and that made her even more attractive to him.

To be honest, he had avoided talking to her most of the time after the incident outside the Jefferson Memorial because he was scared that he would reveal more than he wanted to.

He had lied when he told her what his problem was outside.

He wasn't scared earlier. He was terrified. He thought that his life was trying to prove just how shitty it was by taking the first good thing he had in years away from him before he could really have a chance to relish in it. In that moment, he knew he couldn't just ignore and brush aside the feelings that were starting to form inside him when it came to Leyah. In the short amount of time he knew her, she managed to get closer than anyone had gotten in years.

And that was almost taken away from him that morning.

Maverick swore he could feel his heart stop when he saw the Super Mutant turn away from him earlier. And he only felt it start beating again when he saw her alive and smiling at the woman they saved.

That was when he decided to stay quiet. He knew that if he spoke out then, he would have revealed too much.

How does someone say, 'By the way, I might just think you're becoming more than a friend to me and we've only known each other for a month. What a fucking surprise!'?

Maverick inwardly groaned in his head. Fuck, he needed to rethink everything he thought he knew about him and Leyah.

The way she looked at him earlier…shit, he never wanted to kiss a girl more than he did then and there.

Her wide blue eyes were so focused on him and the way her lips parted and—fuck, he had to stop thinking about it.

His libido was the last thing that needed to be added to this equation.

Leyah pulled him from his thoughts when she gasped. "Maverick!" she hissed, tugging on his sleeve.

"What?"

"The Android! He came here!" she whispered, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Pinkerton wasn't near them.

"What?"

"Look!"

Maverick glanced down at the screen and he narrowed his eyes. Sure enough, there was a before and after picture on the screen. His eyes widened when he recognized the man in the 'after' part. "Holy fucking shit, that's Harkness!"

Leyah quickly downloaded every file concerning Rivet City and Harkness from the terminal to her Pip-boy before standing up and marching over to Pinkerton.

Fuck.

"Want to tell us about the android that came through here?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Pinkerton denied it at first, but Maverick knew that Leyah would get it out of him eventually. He stood behind her, crossing his arms and trying to look as intimidating as he could. That and Leyah's pestering finally caused Pinkerton to throw up his hands in exasperation and he told them everything.

"What are you going to do?" Maverick asked as they stepped out into the weak sunlight of the wasteland again. Pinkerton had given them instructions on how to restore Harkness' memories.

Leyah worried her lower lip between her teeth, looking up toward the main entrance of Rivet City. "Well, I have the evidence right here. It's not like he can just deny it. And that code would do the trick too."

Maverick grumbled and pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes. "Fuck, I should have noticed it! I punched the motherfucker a few months ago and he barely moved!"

"Why should you have noticed? If I'm punching someone, I'm not thinking about whether they're an android or not," Leyah snorted, hitching her pack up higher before walking.

"Have you seen me punch someone before, Vaultie? They usually don't stay standing," Maverick huffed.

All he got in response was a humored smile and an eye roll.

They made it up to the loading dock again and Leyah was becoming tenser by the second as they walked toward where Harkness was standing. "Mav, I don't think I can do this. This would crush him."

"Leyah, Zimmer is HERE. What if he finds out and takes the damn android back to where it came from?"

The Vault Dweller grumbled and took a deep breath before walking up to Harkness. Maverick stood to the side again and watched Leyah work her magic. Maverick became worried when he saw the steely look enter Harkness' eyes after Leyah literally forced the news on him.

"What are you going to do about, Zimmer?" Leyah asked, looking up at him with concern.

"Would you guys mind following me? I might need backup and I don't want any of my men knowing," Harkness growled, taking his gun off his back.

Maverick scowled. "I bet you 10 caps that he's going to go down there and shoot the bastard in the face."

Harkness curled his lip at him before stalking toward the doors nearby.

Maverick and Leyah looked at each other before quickly following him.

They finally reached the Science Lab and Maverick quickly stood in front of Leyah when Harkness shot Zimmer, just like he said he would. Maverick whipped his shotgun from his back and took out the bodyguard, which turned out to be another android, by shooting it straight in the head before it could react.

He tried to remain calm when he felt Leyah rest her forehead on his back. "Nothing normal can happen to us, can it?"

"I think it's just you, Vaultie," Maverick snickered.

"Har dee har har," he heard her retort, followed by a softer "Asshole."

Doctor Li was shouting at them by now and Maverick had to drag Leyah out before she could try doing her 'being nice' thing and apologize to the scientist.

They all stood out in the hallway for what seemed like hours. Harkness just leaned back against the wall with his head drooping while Maverick stood next to a fidgeting Leyah. He glanced down at her and he almost laughed aloud to see her worrying so much.

Shit, she needed to calm down.

Maverick nudged her with his elbow and acted nonchalant about it. She elbowed him back and he grinned before elbowing her again.

He felt a light smack on his arm and he looked down to see her blue eyes flashing with amusement.

"I can't thank you enough," Harkness finally said, wiping a hand down his face.

Leyah rocked back on her heels, holding her hands behind her back. Jesus, everything she did seemed cute or hot now. Maverick looked away and used every ounce of his training from the Brotherhood to focus on the android again.

Harkness gave him a knowing grin and Maverick suddenly remembered something androids could do. They can read how a person is feeling simply from the microscopic body language cues and even pheromone levels. Maverick knew both of those things must have been high as a fucking kite at the moment.

Maverick suddenly wished the Brotherhood didn't have those reports on the androids so long ago so he could have been ignorant of this fact. It would have given Harkness less satisfaction.

"So...do you want to be called Harkness still or-"

"Harkness," the android interrupted, giving Leyah a tired grin, "And the people here know me as that. I'm still their head guard, despite everything."

Leyah sighed and brushed some loose hair from her face. "Sorry to have sprung it on you like that, I couldn't think of any other way to break it to you."

"I'm glad I know now, and I can't thank you both enough. I'll be able to protect myself and maybe even help other androids in the future." Harkness paused and reached back for his rifle.

Maverick stiffened and stepped closer to Leyah. Was he short circuiting? He began to reach for his own gun.

"Relax asshole, I'm giving her this gun. I modified if myself and it's better than the shit Flak or Shrapnel can sell you. It has the same parts as a laser rifle and uses the same ammo. You will need if more than I will." He held out the gun to Leyah and Leyah gingerly took it from his hands.

"Thank you," she breathed out as she gasped in awe at the setup of the gun. Maverick had to admit that he was impressed with it as well.

"Where are you guys heading now? I heard you were looking for your dad," Harkness asked as Leyah strapped her new rifle to her back.

Maverick jerked his thumb toward Leyah. "We're getting her new armor first."

Leyah elbowed him with an eyeroll. "Yeah, and we need to pick up more supplies. When's the next caravan supposed to come through? We kind of cleaned out all we needed from the market this morning."

Harkness shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, the next caravan isn't due for a few days."

"Fuck," Maverick hissed. Then he remembered something, they weren't too far from the Museum of History. "Hold on, Vaultie, I know where we can find you some armor."

Leyah arched a brow at him, crossing her arms under her breasts. Maverick tried to not look at how the action caused them to lift a little. Fuck, shit, damn, bitch he was in trouble. _Cool it you pervert_, he growled at himself.

"And where is this place?"

Maverick rolled his eyes. "Remember those ghouls I told you about in Underworld? Let's go bother them. Tulip might have something to sell us."

Leyah groaned, letting her head fall back as she whined, "Ugh, that means we have to go through the Metro."

Maverick reached over and grabbed her chin before he could tell himself not to. He gently pulled so she would look at him. "Look on the bright side, at least the entrance is right in front of the damn place."

She pouted and waved his hand away. "That doesn't make the fact that feral ghouls are down there any better."

"Take what you can get, Vaultie," Maverick snorted, nodding to Harkness before making his way down the hallway. "C'mon. If we leave now we can get there before it gets dark."

Leyah said goodbye to Harkness and the android even went as far as watch to make sure they made it to Anacostia safely before going back to duty.

"So what's the Underworld like? Gob told me a little about it. I wonder if his mother is still there. Remind me to see if she is and then I can talk to her. And-"

Maverick wasn't surprised to find that he wasn't annoyed with Leyah's persistent rambling. He was starting to think it was cute and she wouldn't be Leyah if she didn't ramble.

That didn't stop him from telling her to shut up in the Metro.

hr

Leyah never wanted to step into a Metro ever again after the trip to the Museum of History.

She just saw more feral ghouls than she ever wanted to see.

At least the gun Harkness gave her was as powerful as he said it was. Both Maverick and Leyah just stared at the gun after it reduced a feral ghoul to a pile of green goo. Maverick couldn't stop laughing after it happened.

"A pile of ash is normal. But goo?! Holy shit, that's awesome," he laughed again as they stepped out into the sunlight.

Leyah rolled her eyes, strapping the gun back over her shoulder. It looks like boys are still obsessed with gross things like goo even at Maverick's age. She couldn't wait to get back to Megaton so she could stash her assault rifle away with her other guns. It was adding more weight than was needed and it quickly became a pain in the ass.

"Long time no see, Maverick," a gravelly voice called from across the small square. A female ghoul was making their way toward them, sticking a cigarette back in her mouth.

"Willow, vigilant as ever I see. Kick anyone's ass lately?" Maverick greeted, slinging his shotgun back over his shoulder.

"Who's your friend?" Willow asked, staring down what was left of her nose at Leyah.

Leyah honestly could see why people could be intimidated by ghouls, but she didn't have a problem with their appearance. If anything, it fascinated her. "Hi," Leyah greeted, trying to smile as best as she could. Her body still was on edge from running into feral ghouls.

"She's not from your damn Brotherhood is she?" Willow snorted, punching Maverick lightly in the shoulder before returning to her post.

"No, she isn't. And keep up the good work, Willow," Maverick chuckled before moving toward the Museum of History door.

Leyah only asked the question burning in her mind after the door shut behind them. "Why did she ask that?"

Maverick sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, making it stick up adorably in the front. Crap, she couldn't stop thinking that way about him if she tried now. She had to resist the urge to reach up and smooth it down for him.

"The Brotherhood used to be really good about helping any civilian in the Wasteland. That never included ghouls, sadly. I always threatened my men if they even thought about shooting toward ghouls on patrols," he huffed out a laugh with no humor, "the ghouls here actually called me the Zombie Lover when I was in the Brotherhood. It took them a while to figure out that I was the same guy."

Leyah shook her head with a smile. "Wow, as much as you defend and help other people, you would think you would be a nicer person."

"Being nice and good are not the same thing," Maverick grumbled. "I've met many 'nice' bastards that were rotten to the core."

"Oh really?"

"Damn straight."

Leyah followed after him, taking in everything she was seeing in the museum. A skeleton lay to her right and she couldn't help but stop and study it. Its giant teeth were what fascinated her the most.

"Vaultie, we don't have all day!" Maverick barked.

Leyah frowned at him and she was surprised to see him grinning at her.

"I know it's cool, but I thought you wanted to meet the ghouls."

"I do! But I've only read about skeletons like this. What do you think it is?"

Maverick snorted. "Hell if I know."

"But really! Do you think it was a relative of the Deathclaw or-"

"Vaultie, you and I both know that Deathclaws are nothing natural and nothing can be related to them."

Oh yeah, he hated Deathclaws.

The door to Underworld was a tad intimidating and Leyah just arched an incredulous brow up at it. "Are you kidding me? Skulls?"

"It used to be an exhibit on what happened after life. The ghouls thought it would be an appropriate place for themselves. And no one comes near it because it's creepy as fuck. Win-Win."

Well, that made sense.

Leyah stayed close to Maverick as he easily pulled open the door and strode in. She figured if she was standing close enough to him, no one would have any reason to fear her. Ghouls were _everywhere_. Almost every bench had a ghoul sleeping or sitting on it and the large decoration in the middle had ghouls sitting all around it.

_Wow, it's really a city,_ she thought.

Maverick led her up the stairs on the left. "Aren't we going to trade stuff?" Leyah asked, quickly following him. Some of the stares from the nearby ghouls weren't comforting.

"Nah. Tulip is probably asleep right now. Let's not bother her. Didn't you want to meet Gob's mom?"

Leyah gasped and grabbed Maverick's sleeve. "She's still here? That's great!"

She could see the sign for _Carol's Place _and she started to make her way toward it when Maverick's hand caught on her arm. "Leyah, there's something I need to tell you."

Leyah stopped and looked up at him, trying to ignore how his touch on her arm was making her body slowly heat up. "Yeah?"

"You _can't _tell her about Gob's situation. I've been telling her he has a steady job and is happy. They're situation is already shit, she doesn't need news like that to make it worse."

Leyah thought about arguing, thinking about Harkness, but she realized this situation was completely different. She was sure she wouldn't take news like that well. "Okay."

"You're going to listen to me for once? Good," Maverick joked, giving her arm a gentle squeeze before stepping around her.

"I listen to you most of the time!" Leyah huffed, marching after him.

"Yeah, but you talk back usually," he snorted.

"I only do it to piss you off," she giggled, nudging him with her shoulder.

Maverick grumbled under his breath as he opened the door and Leyah couldn't help but feel happy for the first time in weeks. She finally had an inkling about where her dad was. She had a house in Megaton. And now she knew Maverick wasn't going to drop her on her ass again any time soon and was her friend. And she had a gun that could turn things into goo.

Things were looking up.

"Carol!" Maverick greeted, stepping toward the counter.

A ghoul lifted her head and she beamed up at him. Her cracked lips flaked a little as she reached out to give Maverick a small hug from across the counter. "Maverick! It's good to see you again. What brings you to Underworld?" she paused when she noticed Leyah and she gave Maverick a teasing smirk. "And you brought someone with you? This is new. Hello dear, I'm Carol."

Leyah was just happy to meet someone who was _polite_ for once. "I'm Leyah, it's nice to meet you." She held out her hand to the ghoul and Carol was surprised for a moment before her smile widened and she shook it.

"Why is someone so nice traveling with you of all people, Maverick?"

Maverick's grin instantly turned into a deep scowl and Leyah couldn't help it. She couldn't stop a snort from escaping her and she covered her mouth, trying to keep her giggles in.

"If ONE more person says that to me, I'm going to pop them in the mouth," Maverick growled, staring down his nose at Leyah.

She saw the familiar spark of humor in his eyes and she stopped trying to cover her laughs. "Maybe this is a hint. You need to stop being so rude to people," Leyah retorted, punching his shoulder playfully.

"I'm nice. I took your ass in after all."

Leyah rolled her eyes. "Yeah, then you dropped me on it with no warning."

"I made up for it."

A small cough forced them to look toward Carol, who looked tickled pink…or some grey color. "What can I do for you two?"

"Well, two rooms would be nice," Maverick said, pulling out some caps.

Leyah stared up at him in confusion. "Two?"

"Leyah, it's literally a bed and a door. You'll thank me."

She shrugged. They had been doing good on saving their caps, so they could afford this for one night.

"I'm sorry Maverick, but I only have one room available," Carol apologized. Her eyes darted between them in confusion.

_Oh shit, she thought we were a couple too_, Leyah thought.

"Dammit, I guess we're sharing a bed tonight, Vaultie. I don't want either of us sleeping in the common room."

Leyah could see how that situation could go wrong so many ways. She had been thinking of her and Maverick in a bed way too much these past few days. And not sleeping. Leyah had accepted the fact she had a crush on him and was attracted to him, that didn't mean anything was going to happen though. But sleeping in the common room wasn't a good idea either.

"Okay," she croaked, clearing her throat before looking at Carol again, "Thank you, Carol."

"You're welcome, dears," she took the caps from Maverick, "Maverick, have you seen Gob lately, how is he doing?"

Leyah had to give Maverick is props. He usually was blunt and told the truth…here though, he was a natural liar.

"He's doing great, Carol. He told me to tell you he loves you and misses you the next time I come out here."

Carol's eyes softened and her smile made Leyah's heart break a little. She could see why Maverick told her to lie. If Carol found out the truth, she would be devastated. Maverick took the key and the room turned out not to be a room at all. It was what Maverick said. It was a bed surrounded by flimsy walls and a bathroom stall door.

"You weren't kidding," she whispered.

"Yeah, downside of staying in Underworld."

He took their bags and tossed them over the flimsy walls onto the bed. "Well, I say we buy dinner and have a few drinks before heading to bed. We can plan our next move."

The thought of a full-ish meal and a beer sounded wonderful. "Lead the way."

An hour later, Leyah found herself sitting across from Maverick with a full stomach and a cold beer. She found herself spitting out her beer more than once when Carol and Greta joined them and started to tell stories about Maverick.

"Really ladies?" Maverick growled.

"What? You convinced him you were President Eden for a week! Patches is always drunk, but that was a new low for him," Greta giggled.

"What about that time he and Charon dealt with those troublemakers a few months ago? It was the only time I saw Charon smile," Carol cut in.

Leyah looked to Maverick for an explanation.

Maverick ran his fingers through his hair, making it stick up again. "Some ghouls that never lived here before started causing trouble in Ninth Circle. So I went over there to see what was going on and helped the 'bouncer' take them straight out of Underworld. It was mostly us against 3 high ghouls."

"And you convinced one of them you were a Super Mutant," Greta added, deadpan.

Leyah snorted out a laugh. "Remind me never to get inebriated around you. I may not know who you are the next day."

"Sure thing, Leyah," Maverick chuckled, kicking her chair leg a little.

"It was a sight. Maverick and Charon kept up the act and they willingly ran out of Underworld," Carol chuckled. "Again, I think that was the only time I've seen Charon smile."

Maverick grumbled and popped the top off another beer. "Well, can you blame him? He has the shittiest boss in the Wasteland."

Both ghouls nodded in agreement. "So how did you and Leyah meet, Maverick?" Carol asked, looking tickled…greyish pink? Leyah's tipsy mind couldn't make itself up.

"She passed out in the middle of my street after running away from Raiders. I did the usual and took her in," Maverick said curtly.

"From Raiders?! You poor thing." Carol reached out and patted Leyah's arm.

"I had a Rad-Cold," Leyah sheepishly admitted.

"Yeah, she came from 101. Never been around radiation in her life," Maverick added on.

"Wow, really?" Greta asked. "I always thought there was at least a little bit of radiation no matter where you were."

They then continued to tell the ghouls about how they started traveling together to find her dad. "So now we're going to wait a few days and see if he comes back," Leyah finished.

"That's so nice of you to help her, Maverick." Carol looked at Maverick with twinkling eyes. Well, at least Leyah thought they would have that quality if they weren't covered with a milky film.

"Nah, she could have taken care of herself, I'm just along for the ride," Maverick said, winking at Leyah.

Leyah rolled her eyes, ignoring how her stomach was fluttering now. Maverick rarely complimented her. And that wink did things she wish it didn't.

The two ghoulettes went to bed, leaving Leyah and Maverick alone.

"Did you mean that?" Leyah whispered, rolling her beer between her hands.

Maverick gave her an even stare for many moments. "Every word."

Leyah scooted toward the edge of her chair, bringing herself close to him. "Really?"

She was inwardly pleased when Maverick didn't move away from her either. "Yes, Leyah."

Before she knew it, her face was inches from his and her heart was beating quicker and quicker with every inch. Shit, she knew it was the alcohol. She didn't have a good tolerance for it and Maverick had a large glass of vodka before his beers.

She found herself staring at his lips and her breath caught in her throat. Was this happening? Did he _want_ to kiss her just as much as she wanted to kiss him?

God, she hoped so.

A loud bang made them jerk apart and Leyah saw a drunk ghoul stumble in and clumsily land on his bed in the room in the corner.

"Let's get to bed, Vaultie. We've got a long way to go to Megaton tomorrow."

Leyah nodded, cursing her luck. Maverick unlocked the door to their 'room' and they both stepped in. Leyah kicked off her boots and took off the equipment belt and her Pip-Boy. There was no way she was stripping down to her usual tank top and underwear right now. She wasn't tipsy enough to make that mistake.

Maverick had already took off all of his armor and he was pulling the covers over him as she turned toward the bed. She gingerly climbed in beside him, turning her back to him.

"Goodnight, Mav."

"Night Leyah."

This was going to be a long night.


	11. Chapter 11

Maverick was in deep shit.

He kept his hands intertwined on his stomach and he stared up at the ceiling, trying to do the mental exercises he learned with the Brotherhood to not focus on the warm body next to him. He knew this was a bad idea, but they had no other options right now.

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and his heart thudded at what he saw. She was curled up into a ball and facing him. Her cheek was squished against her hand, reminding him of how young she was. He could feel the soft puffs of her breath against the skin of his arm.

Maverick was in deeper shit than he thought.

It had been a while since he was in a relationship at all. Now, having Leyah here and with moments like before, his libido and emotions were skyrocketing.

He was _so_ close to giving in and finally kissing her. Crowley had shitty timing.

_Or good timing,_ a sarcastic voice grumbled in his mind.

What would happen if he started something with Leyah? Would they eventually fall apart like his past relationships or would something good come out of it? Then there was their age difference. She was barely an adult, she was naïve about the ways of the world and she had a pure soul.

He was a washed up soldier with no direction and the crabby personality to go along with it.

Yet, she stayed with him. She stared up at him with unguarded eyes and she tugged at his heart in a way no one has before. Finally giving up trying to ignore her, he turned in the bed and faced her. He grinned when he saw drool starting to dribble out of her mouth.

He was able to get a few hours of sleep before the diner started to get business. Maverick finally got up and left Leyah to sleep while he got breakfast. She deserved a good rest.

By the time he got back with Brahmin milk and Sugar Bombs, she was awake and fixing her hair back into its usual ponytail. He stopped and stared for a moment. She was in her tank top still and her vault jumpsuit's sleeves were tied around her waist. His eyes followed the strong lines of her arms as she held her hair up and he told himself to snap out of it.

He tossed her the bottle of Brahmin milk when she was done and set the box of Sugar Bombs on the bed. "Alright, first things first, you get new armor. Then, we go back the way we came. We take the metro until we get near the outskirts then we keep going to either my house or Megaton."

She nodded and picked up the bottle of milk and tipped it back. Maverick felt his whole body heat up as he watched her swallow.

Fuck.

Maverick berated himself, rubbing the back of his neck. He was acting like a teenager again.

She only set the bottle down after she chugged the whole thing. "Okay, and I want to visit the doctor here and see if he has any medical supplies for sale."

Of course she would.

Maverick nodded and ate his Sugar Bombs in silence. Leyah bought as many stimpaks as she could, no matter what. He supposed it was a good thing it was high on her priority list. He remembered when some initiates in the Brotherhood would just scoff and claim they didn't need them.

They finally left the room and dropped the key off with Carol before making their way down to Tulip's shop. Leyah's eyes were wide as she took everything in and Maverick felt a fluttering feeling settle in his chest as she looked around in wonder.

God, this was part of why she got under his skin so quickly. Her innocent curiosity was annoying to him at first, but it showed him how open she was. She was like a blank holotape waiting to be filled.

"I remember reading about this building in the Vault. I can't believe I'm seeing some of this with my own eyes. Do you think we can explore the rest of the museum sometime? I think there is a special exhibit on Lincoln and a few other Presidents around here somewhere."

Maverick gave her a wry grin. "Maybe…but the rest of the museum is infested with those damn feral ghouls you love."

Leyah's face turned white really quick. She sighed and let her head fall back. "Of course. Feral ghouls ruin everything."

Maverick found himself not being annoyed for once when Leyah was stopped by Winthrop. He wondered why people immediately flocked to her for help. He supposed it was what Three Dog mentioned. Leyah did carry a certain air about her that screamed 'I'm going to get shit done' and that was hard to find in the Capital Wasteland.

After agreeing to sell Winthrop any scrap metal they found, he and Leyah finally made it to Tulip's.

"Hey Tulip, Vaultie here needs new gear. Have any armor?"

Tulip dropped whatever book she was holding and she beamed at them. "Zombie Lover? And a new person? Wonderful!"

One thing Maverick liked about Underworld more than anything else was how quickly ghouls did their work. Tulip didn't hesitate to get all of the armor she was selling out and she didn't interrupt as Maverick closely inspected every piece of it.

"Shit. Shit. Double shit. No…fuck, is there any-Ah!"

Maverick finally found a chest piece and other parts of combat armor that would work. It even came with the fatigues they were paired with. "What size are you?" he asked, holding it up. Most of the metal was intact and nothing was torn. Maverick did a closer inspection as Leyah studied it herself.

"Well…that looks like it should fit."

Maverick arched a brow down at her. "Leyah, what size are you?"

She bit her lip and she finally sighed, running her fingers through the fringe of hair that always escaped her ponytail. "I'm a large in pants and a medium in tops."

Now was that so fucking hard?

Maverick bit the question back. He remembered how Rachel used to be self-conscious about her body. It confused Maverick to no end. He didn't think Leyah had anything to worry about in that department. He peeked over at her, eyeing how her short stature had the right amount of curves. She lost a good deal of weight since he first met her, but she was still nowhere near the typical wastelander.

She had round hips and…everything to match.

Maverick couldn't tell how many times he found himself getting distracted when walking behind her lately.

Fuck.

He quickly handed her the armor. "Here, this is in the best shape. We'll make adjustments as we go." He gestured to the stalls.

Leyah walked into one of the bathroom stalls and Maverick leaned back against the wall as he waited.

"Your girlfriend is really pretty, Zombie Lover," Tulip giggled.

Maverick stiffened and he let out a tired sigh. "We're friends, Tulip," he weakly argued.

"Oh."

An awkward silence hung between them until Leyah walked out of the stall.

She obviously didn't know what she was doing. "Mav, I have no idea where to clip this part and does this go here or-"

Maverick just stared as she turned around in circles trying to reach a certain piece. Fuck, she was adorable. He huffed out a laugh before stepping forward and helping her. "Jesus," he laughed, staring to clip everything in the right place.

Maverick was so focused on what he was doing, he didn't notice how closed he stepped to her. They were almost chest to chest when he was done clipping everything in place and she had to literally look up to look at him.

Their eyes met and Maverick used every ounce of goddamn willpower he had to not give into his urge to kiss her. Fuck, she never guarded herself around him and he wondered if he was reading the signs from her right. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this much tension around someone before.

All of the little details he didn't notice before suddenly were obvious to him. He could see a wash of freckles on the bridge of her nose. He noticed just how long her eyelashes were and there was a tiny scar on her cheekbone.

An awkward clearing of the throat caused Maverick to pull himself out of the spell Leyah put him under to look over at Tulip.

"That will be 117 caps, Zombie Lover," Tulip mumbled, glancing between the two of them.

Maverick quickly pulled out the caps necessary before Leyah could protest and he slapped them on the counter.

He walked out, trying to calm down his heart and thoughts.

He waited out by the statue in the middle while Leyah finished doing her 'nice' thing with Tulip.

Fuck, he couldn't keep going on like this. He was going to go crazy if he didn't say something soon. Maverick wondered why he was so torn about this. He had never been this unsure and afraid in his life. He was always the type to make decisions quickly and not hesitate to carry them out. Now, just the thought of telling Leyah how she was affecting him was terrifying.

_Maybe because you actually care about how this one turns out_, a voice sarcastically laughed in his head.

He sighed and let his head drop back as he glared at the ceiling. His romantic life wasn't exactly shining points in his life. He 'dated' a girl when he was an Initiate, which didn't really get farther than kissing.

But then there was Jessica.

She was a fellow Knight in his class and she was the one that pursued the relationship with him. Thinking back on it, Maverick supposed he only started a relationship with her so she would stop bugging him about it. Sure, she was beautiful and the physical part was good, but they fought constantly and she didn't like how he was advancing ahead of her, despite the fact she was Elder Lyons' niece.

Leyah was different in every way possible.

She was just as big of a sarcastic asshole as he was, but she was just nice when she wasn't kidding around. She was intelligent, compassionate, and had something that made him feel accepted no matter what he said or did.

Leyah was…Leyah, and that made her special somehow.

Maverick huffed out a laugh to himself.

And that made him wonder why the fuck she would act interested in him. Last night and just now just confirmed all of his hopes and suspicions.

His heart thudded in his chest when she basically skipped out of the shop towards him, beaming. Shit, since when was her smile so pretty?

"Maverick! Look at what Tulip gave me! It's apparently the book they based this exhibit off of."

Maverick glanced at the beat up book in her hands and gasped. "A book! Holy shit that's rare!"

Leyah rolled her eyes with a grin. "Snark all you want, but I'm going to ignore you and read this when we aren't on the move."

With a huff, Maverick started to walk toward the clinic.

"Thank you, by the way."

"For what?"

"For the armor. I was going to pay for it on my own but you—"

Fuck, did she really think he wasn't willing to go to those ends for her? He would buy all the armor he could if it could keep her safe. "Hey," Maverick interrupted, stopping so he could look her straight on, "we're a team now and I…"

Shit, he never was good at this.

Her clear, striking blue eyes zeroed in on him and he forgot to think.

"I want you to be safe," he finally finished.

They stared at each other for many moments and the tension from before was back with a vengeance. A burp from a nearby ghoul helped dissipate it and Maverick finally was able to force himself to the door of the clinic.

He opened it and let Leyah walk in before he did. A sharp gasp from her was his only warning that she stopped as he walked through himself.

He looked down and arched a brow at her stiff form before following her line of sight. "Well fuck, you don't see that every day," he stated, looking across the room.

Two feral ghouls were prowling around in what looked like a containment room and they were glaring at them through the glass.

"Mav, I want to leave," Leyah squeaked.

Knowing she would complain about not getting stimpaks later, Maverick stepped in front of her. "Just keep me in-between you and them. Let's find Doctor Barrows."

She clung to the back of his armor and Maverick kept an eye on the ghouls to keep those feelings from before from rising again. He _really_ had to tell her. Soon.

"May I help you?"

The clunk of a door opening caused Maverick to turn and see Doctor Barrows stepping in from the containment room.

"Yes, do you have medical supplies for sale?" Maverick asked, since he knew Leyah was probably more focused on the feral ghouls than anything else. He pushed Leyah in front of him and stood so he could block the sight of the ferals better than before.

Leyah finally snapped out of it and started to barter with Barrows. Maverick looked around the Chop Shop, trying to remember if he had ever been in there or not and something caught his eye in the far corner.

A woman was lying on the cot in the corner and Maverick couldn't help but wonder if he had ever seen her before.

He waited until Leyah was done with her business before walking toward the cot. He peered over her, trying to get a good view of her face.

His heart sunk when he realized who it was.

"Holy shit."

"What is it?" Leyah asked.

"That's Reilly."

Leyah looked up at him in confusion. "You know her?"

"Yeah, she runs a merc company that used to do missions with the Brotherhood. What the hell is she doing here? And what's wrong with her?"

Leyah stepped closer and she started to examine Reilly. Maverick watched in slight fascination as she started to feel for pulses, shined her Pip-Boy light in Reilly's eyes, and looked inside her mouth and everything.

"Her pulse rate is really fast and her pupils are slow to reacting…" Leyah hummed in thought and reached forward and pinched the skin on the back of Reilly's hand. "Just what I thought. Her skin has lost turgor. She's severely dehydrated. She might be in a state of alkalosis right now."

"Vaultie. English."

"She's so dehydrated that her kidneys are losing the things they need to keep the pH of the blood at a certain level and it's destroying her organs due to the fluid loss. I wonder what her IV serum is."

Leyah reached over to look at the IV pouch that was connected to Reilly and she gasped. "Holy shit! Are they idiots here?!"

Maverick's heart rate started to pick up. "What is it?"

"This has too much sodium in it. Shit shit shit." Leyah started to frantically look around the room and Barrows came over to see what the trouble was.

"Poor thing. Willow brought her in early this morning. We already have her on an IV and-"

"And it's the wrong concentration! It's hypertonic!"

"Fuck!"

Both Leyah and Barrows were running around the room now, looking through every drawer they could and Maverick just wanted to know what the fuck was going on.

Leyah finally let out a whoop of victory and she hurried back beside the bed, holding a new bag of IV fluid. She quickly started to change the IV bag and Barrows was shoving Maverick out of the way and doing the same things Leyah was doing earlier.

Leyah reached into her bag and pulled out a stimpak and Barrows gave her an incredulous look as she started to inject it into the IV port. "What are you-"

"Her organs are probably damaged by now. The stimpak fluid should help. How long was that solution in?"

"Not even 5 minutes. I had my assistant put it in right before you guys got here."

"Shit, they could still be damaged."

Maverick opted to just stay out the way and let Leyah work her magic.

Shit, he never realized just how _good_ she was at being a doctor. Hell, she probably would have been a damn good one if she stayed in the Vault.

It was about 30 minutes until Reilly finally started to stir. Barrows nodded to Leyah and stomped out of the Chop Shop…probably to rip his assistant a new one.

Reilly's eyes suddenly shot wide open and she started to struggle.

"Hey! Hey! It's alright, you're in Underworld," Leyah said gently, grabbing Reilly's hands before she could rip out the IV.

Reilly stared at Leyah in shock, breathing heavily. "My team! Oh God how long was I out?!"

Leyah kept a hold on Reilly's hands and she sat on the bed next to her. "They found you early this morning. You were suffering from dehydration, and by the looks of it your leg is pretty beat up."

"Fuck, so they might still have a chance. Thank God."

"Where the fuck is your team?" Maverick finally asked.

Reilly's head whipped up to look at him and her eyes became saucers. "Maverick Barrington? What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same. Where's your team?"

"At the top of the Statesman Hotel."

Maverick sighed and sat down on the bed across from Reilly's. "Start at the beginning."

Maverick then proceeded to listen to the textbook definition of 'things went wrong'.

"I used our last Stealth Boy to get me out of there and the last thing I remember is collapsing in front of the museum. Maverick, please," Reilly tried to reach across to him. "If anyone can help my team, it's you. You're the best mutie killing machine I know and my boys know you. Please."

Maverick opened his mouth to say 'you're shit out of luck' but Leyah's expression stopped him. Oh shit, she was going to want to do her 'be nice' thing to Reilly now.

"Let's do it, Mav."

"Why, Vaultie?"

"Because," Leyah stood from her spot with a confident grin, "we have been able to handle ourselves in Super Mutant infested tunnels so far. And we helped out at GNR. We can do this too."

Shit, now both women were looking at him with big eyes.

Maverick honestly thought the mission was suicidal. But, then again, Leyah had enough stimpaks to get them through anything and they both were really stocked on ammo and other supplies right now.

Memories of what happened yesterday outside of the Jefferson Memorial had him reeling. Leyah didn't listen to him then, would she pull a stunt like that again going up against these Super Mutants?

"One. Fucking. Condition," he finally said, standing up and crossing his arms. "You have to follow my orders to the T. No exceptions and no arguing. Am I clear, Leyah?"

Leyah's eyes hardened for a moment before she nodded, looking determined.

Maverick let out a long, tired sigh. How did he let her talk him into this shit?

"Okay Reilly, I need numbers. How many are there and I also need a layout of both the hotel and the hospital."

He never saw Reilly smile in the past, but she had the biggest smile on her face now.


	12. Chapter 12

Leyah watched as Maverick and Reilly created a plan for them before Maverick left to see if Tulip had any more ammo to sell.

She sighed and checked Reilly's vital signs one more time before getting ready to leave herself.

"So, how long have you guys been dating?"

Leyah froze. Shit.

"We aren't," she replied weakly.

"Could have fooled me. Maverick usually isn't convinced that easily and there was no way in hell he would have taken this on in the past. He's wrapped around your finger," Reilly said with a laugh.

Leyah bit her lip before letting out a sigh. "You really think so?"

The vault dweller knew she couldn't keep the feelings and thoughts she's had about Maverick inside any longer. This wasn't helping.

"Fuck yeah I think so. He would have said, 'Tough shit' if I saw him 10 years ago. All you had to do was look at him."

Leyah sighed. "You're probably reading it wrong. He most likely thinks of me as a little sister or something."

Reilly scoffed. "I didn't know brothers looked at sisters like that. Just grow a pair of tits and tell him."

Leyah let out a weak laugh. "Alright, maybe I will after we save your team."

"I knew I liked you for a reason."

Maverick finally returned and they both set out toward the metro entrance. Leyah reached out to pull open the chain link fence, but Maverick's voice stopped her. "Leyah."

She turned to look at him and her breath caught in her throat. He was standing really close. "Y-yeah?"

"I meant it when I said you have to listen to me. This is going to be tougher than anything we've come across so far. We can't have another incident like at Jefferson Memorial."

Seeing the amount of worry in his eyes caused Leyah's heart to sink. "I know. And I will."

With a sigh, he reached up and tucked a wayward lock of hair behind her ear. "Good. Let's go." He reached forward and opened the gate.

Leyah's heart wouldn't stop pounding the whole way through the metro tunnels. At first, it was because she was remembering how the backs of Maverick's fingers felt on her cheek. But now…it was because of the feral ghouls.

"Fuck," Maverick hissed as he shot another feral down. They finally made it to another entrance and Maverick slowly opened the door.

"We are in the heart of mutie land. Don't let your guard down."

Leyah nodded and followed him. They saw a Super Mutant right away when they reached the surface and Maverick started to lead her through the twisting alleys toward the hospital.

"Fuck, there's one on the roof there," he hissed. He pointed up to the cement crosswalk above them. "Shoot him down, whether you hit him or distract him, it will give us time to get into the hospital."

Leyah nodded and took aim. She would have to remember to thank Harkness the next time she saw him. The Super Mutant turned into green goo, giving them all the time they needed.

The way to the top floor of the hospital was a mad house. Traps from the Rangers were everywhere and Leyah saw her first Centaur on the third floor. She stared at it after the coast was clear. "Why the fuck do they look like that?" she mumbled.

"Don't know, but we have to keep moving."

Theo's body was a mangled mess when they found it and they tried to avoid looking at it as they packed as much ammo as they could. "Shit, we need to hurry," Maverick cursed.

They finally made it to the top floor and Maverick let out one of the most colorful curses she had ever heard from him when they realized what they had to do. They had to go across to the hotel on a radio tower that had collapsed, making a walkway.

"Jesus hotsauce Christmas cake! Fuck fuck fuck fuck…" Maverick was now pacing and taking deep breaths.

Leyah suddenly remembered that Maverick was scared of heights.

"You owe me one for this, Vaultie," he hissed.

Leyah went first and she slowly and carefully made her way across. She dropped down to the story below and turned to motion to Maverick.

She could still hear him cursing as he practically crawled across to the hotel. It would have been almost comical if the threat of a mutant seeing them wasn't present.

He finally dropped down to where she was and he plastered himself against the side of the building. "Open the damn door!"

Leyah quickly opened it and let them in. She closed it afterward so he wouldn't have to look outside again. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"Did you cause the radio tower to fall?"

"No?"

"Then don't apologize. It's like you and the metros. It's something we have to fucking do." Maverick took a few deep breaths and shook his arms out. "Alright, let's go. Keep an eye out for more goddamn traps."

As they made their way through the hotel, Leyah couldn't imagine somewhere being as trap infested as this one. Trip mines, bombs, and God knows what else was littered through the whole path to the roof. They finally made it to the restaurant and they both held back groans at what they saw. "Fuck," Maverick cursed.

Luckily, they had only ran into one or two mutants at a time the whole way up to the top floor. Now there were three.

"Fuck, there's a Master in there."

"How can you even tell if he's a Master? They all look the same," Leyah hissed.

"He has more tires on him, so he's a Master."

Leyah cursed and looked around. Surely there was another way…

She perked up when she saw another door down the hall. "Mav."

She gestured to it and they both hurried over to it before any of the mutants could spot them. Leyah quickly hurried to pick the lock while Maverick kept watch. With the secret hallway open, she and Maverick were able to quickly clear out the dining room.

"Alright, according to Reilly, the way to the roof is right up those stairs."

Maverick started to make his way toward the stairs he gestured to and Leyah began to follow. A small flash of movement in the corner of her eye had her stopping behind a pillar and grabbing the back of Maverick's gear. "Mav!"

Luckily, she caught him mid-step and was able to pull his greater weight behind the pillar just as the mutant's gun shot.

"Fuck!" Maverick barked, quickly reloading his gun.

Leyah peered around the edge of the pillar and she knew she had this shot even before she reloaded her own gun.

The mutant was a pile of green goo in seconds.

Breathing heavily and heart pounding, she dared to look up at him right as he looked down at her. Maverick let out a weak laugh before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and hugging her close. "Fucking hell," he croaked out, "thank you."

The rush she got from the close call quickly became a warm, fuzzy sensation as he squeezed her a little more before letting go. They quickly scavenged what they could from the room and Leyah was excited to find a fission battery in a Protectoron. "Jackpot."

Maverick rolled her eyes and tapped her shoulder. "C'mon. Those mercs will be happy to see us."

The sound of explosions and gunshots greeted them as they emerged onto the roof. Leyah followed Maverick's lead as they crept closer to the sounds. They found a ramp that lead to the very top of the roof and Maverick let out his second most colorful curse of the day. "Fuck shit damn bitch, they'll shoot on sight if they see us."

Leyah bit her lip, wondering what to do. Memories of an old holotape from the vault suddenly came to mind and she quickly started to dig through her pack.

"What are you doing?"

"Hold on."

Maverick huffed in annoyance, glancing toward the mercenaries.

Leyah finally found one of her other tank tops and she tied the sleeves around the end of Maverick's shot gun.

"What the-"

"Hold it up and wave it! It's worth a shot."

Maverick grumbled under his breath and started to wave the makeshift flag around.

"What the fuck?" one of the mercenaries cursed

"Butcher! Don't fucking fire! It's Maverick Barrington you asshole!" Maverick bellowed, waving his gun around as fast as he could.

"Brick, put the fucking gun down!" a new voice yelled.

Leyah dared to peek up the ramp and she saw the three mercenaries lower their guns. Maverick huffed and untied her tanktop from his gun. "Shit, I didn't think that would work."

"Well, you shouting at them probably rang some bells in their heads."

Maverick smirked at her before making his way up the ramp.

Leyah's heart skipped a beat at the look and she quickly stuffed her tanktop back into her pack and hurried after him. Shit, she really needed to tell him. It was getting to the point to where she lost focus.

One of the mercenaries walked toward them with open arms. "Maverick, you bastard, you're a sight for sore eyes!"

They did the perfect definition of a 'man hug', as Leyah liked to call them. The man who she assumed was Butcher looked behind them and a frown replaced his smile. "Are you two it?"

"Yeah, and we fucking got here by ourselves so you better not complain," Maverick huffed. He nodded toward the elevator. "So, that piece of shit is out?"

"Yeah, it needs some juice and we should be home free after that. How did you know we were here? Did you get our distress signal?"

Leyah hung behind Maverick and she grinned and nodded at the woman nearby. The woman nodded back with a grateful smile.

"No, we bumped into Reilly in Underworld," Maverick jerked a thumb toward Leyah, "Leyah here patched her up enough to talk to us. She practically begged us to help you."

"Reilly's alive?! Thank God," the other man said, shoulder's sagging with relief.

The woman went as far as giving Leyah a hug.

She and Maverick handed over all of Theo's ammo before inspecting the elevator.

Maverick fiddled with it for a moment before glancing back at the mercs. "Donovan, what the hell did you see when you tried to fix it?"

Donovan stepped over and they both started to tinker with the elevator. Maverick turned around after a few minutes with a wry smirk. "Remind me to never stop you from scavenging ever again. You find useful shit."

He held his palm out and Leyah realized what he wanted. She sighed and dug through her pack for the fission battery she found. "I really wanted this one," she grumbled, handing it over.

Donovan held his hand out expectantly to Maverick and Maverick just looked at him like he was a super mutant. "What the fuck do you want?"

"I can fix it now," Donovan said, gesturing to the elevator.

"Numbnuts, I have handled fission batteries since I was 10. I built my own power armor at 12. I have this. Go get rested and fix your damn gun. It's going to blow in your face if you use it again."

Leyah rolled her eyes. He could have simply said he could do it.

Donovan made a face at him before stepping back to do as Maverick so kindly advised. Leyah checked her own rifle as they were waiting.

"So, what's a cute girl like you doing all the way out in Super Mutant land?"

Leyah looked up at Donovan with a deadpan expression. Was he seriously flirting with her right now? They weren't even close to being out of danger. She ignored the comment and continued inspecting her rifle.

"I'm surprised a pretty girl like you has lasted this long out here. They usually stay-"

"If you say they usually stay home I swear to God I'll hand your balls to you," Leyah politely said, giving him a fake grin as she cocked her gun.

Jesus, she was NOT in the mood to deal with this. Having to sneak her way through ghoul infested metros and a mutant filled hospital and hotel did not make a good day. She didn't dare complain though, because it was her idea.

The woman, who she assumed was Brick, smirked at Donovan before holding her hand up to Leyah. Leyah grinned and gave her a high five. "You tell 'em!"

A loud snort caused everyone to look at Maverick. "Good fucking luck, Don. She can shoot your balls off from a hundred feet. I've seen her do it."

"No shit?" Donovan laughed, giving Leyah a wink before going back to fixing his gun.

Leyah rolled her eyes before slinging her rifle over her shoulder again. She peeked over at Maverick, who was squatting near the elevator circuit board. She could see where the shirt he wore under his armor was sticking to his skin because of the sweat and she quickly looked away as her mouth went dry. Fuck, she really had to tell him. But how does one do that?

It was easy in the Vault. Wally literally walked up to her one day and asked her to be his girlfriend. Leyah thought being his girlfriend would cause him and the other Tunnel Snakes to lay off of her and Amata a little more.

That didn't happen.

Now, she was on an emotional vertibird ride and she had no control. It didn't help that her whole body would heat up at the thought of being physically intimate with Maverick.

"Got it!" Maverick suddenly cheered, standing up straight, kicking the circuit board cover back into place. He turned and faced the mercenaries as he pressed the button to call the elevator. "Alright assholes, just like the old times. We go in slow and cover each other's asses."

He pointed at Brick. "No charging in Brick, I fucking mean it."

Brick rolled her eyes with a salute. "Yes, Sir."

They all piled into the elevator and Leyah somehow, someway, got squished between Maverick and Donovan. She glanced up at Maverick and noticed that he was glaring at Donovan over her head. Wait…did that mean?

No, Maverick was too old to be jealous. Right?

She shook the thoughts from her mind as they reached the bottom floor and she got her rifle ready. She had to hand it to them, the Rangers knew how to do their job. They were able to make it to the ground floor and all Leyah could see was the Super Mutant Master left, or so she thought.

Heavy steps and a whoosh caused her to gasp and turn just in time to see a Super Mutant barreling toward her with a board full of nails. She dove to the side as it swung, separating her from where she was standing next to Brick.

She let out a yelp when it swung down. Leyah rolled to the side, quickly reloading her rifle. She took a wild shot, hoping to distract it as she scrambled behind the counter. She gasped when she realized she was cornered. Fuck.

The Mutant was on a roll now and was coming fast. She took another shot, hitting its shoulder. It let out a gargled shriek as it dropped the board and it slowed down just enough for her to leap over the counter.

"Leyah! Move!" Maverick roared.

She squeaked and rolled forward and her body started to tremble when she felt the ends of the Mutant's grubby fingers barely bounce off her armor. She turned so she could possibly get a shot in, but all she could see was the broad expanse of Maverick's back.

The boom of his shotgun sounded throughout the lobby of the hotel.

Leyah let out a long sigh of relief and she slumped down to her knees. Her body started to shake when she realized just how close of a call that was. Her rifle slipped from her fingers and she tried to get a grip. She knew she was probably embarrassing herself and Maverick right now.

She closed her eyes and tried to take deep breaths, but that didn't help.

Warm calloused hands rested on either side of her neck and she opened her eyes to see Maverick kneeling in front of her. "Hey, it's okay. It's over," he kept saying softly, running his thumbs along her jaw.

Leyah nodded and slowed down her breathing, focusing on making it even again. She closed her eyes and tried to hone in on the way he was holding her.

The soft rub of his skin against hers helped her stay grounded and she stopped shaking after a few moments. She opened her eyes again and she was met with worried blue-green eyes.

"You okay?" he asked, studying her features.

Fuck, her heart was still pounding, but for a different reason now. She nodded, reaching up and tracing her fingers along one of his wrists. For a moment, she imagined how easy it would be to lean forward and press her lips to his. Him standing up and helping her to her feet killed that thought quickly.

He picked up her rifle and held it out to her. "Alright, is everyone good to move on?"

The Rangers gave their okay and soon they were making their way to the metro back toward Underworld. Leyah noticed that Maverick didn't leave her side at all and was gently pressing his hand to the small of her back occasionally.

Her heart fluttered every time he did and she had to hold back the urge to wrap her own arm around him. She could understand why he was doing it. She wanted to make sure he was okay too. They just did what was considered a suicide mission with no casualties whatsoever.

This made her wonder what else they could accomplish together.


	13. Chapter 13

Maverick had a flash of déjà vu in a way when they got back to Underworld. The way the ghouls parted for the Rangers, Leyah, and him reminded him of the way the members of the Brotherhood would do the same whenever he returned from a mission.

He watched with a light heart as the Rangers stormed into the Chop Shop and headed straight for Reilly. He and Leyah watched from the doorway as Reilly was almost in tears.

"Holy shit Reilly, you look like a Mutie Master stepped on you."

"It's because one did, Butcher, you ass."

Maverick's eyes widened when Brick—tough, burly, take-no-shit Brick—leaped forward and kissed Reilly straight on the mouth.

Well, he's seen bigger surprises.

He glanced down at Leyah and he wasn't surprised to see a content smile on her face. She got it whenever they helped someone else. His chest grew warm as he studied her and he tried to not think about the close call she had at the hotel. Jesus, her and muties just did not get along.

Maverick could only remember being that scared one other time in his life and that was when his sister was bleeding out on the ground.

Leyah looked up at him and he didn't look away for once, he met her steady gaze for a few moments before he let out a small sigh. "Well, you struck again, Vaultie. Being nice pays off every once in a while."

Leyah's smile grew and she leaned against the door jamb. "Yeah, this was worth it."

The Rangers were now all seated on beds and discussing their next move as soon as Reilly was well enough to walk and Maverick started to feel awkward. He knew how intimate the friendships in a team were and he felt like they were intruding.

He turned to leave and reached out to tap Leyah's shoulder, but Reilly's voice stopped him.

"You stop right there, Barrington. You both deserve a proper thank you."

Maverick arched a brow at Reilly over his shoulder. "Is that so? Thank Vaultie then, she was the one that wanted to help."

Leyah gave him what he now called, 'the look' which consisted of a pinched brow, scrunched nose, and a big, angry pout. "Mav…"

"No, both of you assholes get in here."

Maverick soon found himself leaning against a bed frame and he watched as Leyah was presented with her own full suit of Reilly's Rangers Combat Armor. They had been saving it for a recruit, but they felt Leyah should have it.

Maverick shook his head when Reilly turned to him and he gave her a hard look. He glanced between her and Leyah, hoping she got the hint.

Thankfully, she did. Leyah now had one of the best armors in the Capital Wasteland. That was good enough for him.

Reilly then recruited Leyah into helping them map out the Wasteland and promised them 100 caps for each location they were able to map. Leyah then took her leave so she could pack up what they found from the hospital and she smiled at Maverick as she left.

Maverick moved to follow her, but the sharp bark of Reilly's voice stopped him. "Just fucking tell her already. Do you know how frustrating it is watching you two?"

Sighing, Maverick faced Reilly with a scowl. "Since when are you allowed to comment on my personal life?"

"Since we saved each other's asses in the field more times than we can count. And you just saved my team," she retorted, throwing her arm around Brick's shoulders.

Maverick turned back toward her, crossing his arms. "She doesn't see me that way."

Shit, that argument even sounded weak to him.

"Bull fucking shit. Just tell her. You're giving us all tension."

Donovan winked at him and Maverick suddenly realized why he flirted with Leyah at the hotel. "I'm watching you, motherfucker," Maverick growled at him.

"Relax. I'm into brunettes."

Reilly swiped at Donovan before focusing on Maverick again. "Now get out of here and follow my damn advice."

Maverick finally left the Chop Shop and made his way up to Carol's Place. He noticed that Leyah already rented them a room again and dropped her pack in there. Both sets of her combat armor was neatly folded and stacked on top of her pack.

Reilly's words kept ringing in his head and all of the emotions and thoughts about his Vault dweller forced him to make a decision. Deciding to take a leap of faith for once, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a small sack of holotapes from his bag before tossing it onto the bed. He made his way to the counter. "Two Nuka Colas and two mirelurk cakes."

Carol winked at him before handing him what he ordered and he rolled his eyes at her before walking to the door. Her laugh followed him and he couldn't help but grin.

He asked around and Winthrop was finally able to tell him where Leyah ran off to.

"She said something about looking at the skeleton outside the entrance," the ghoul said, gesturing to the door.

Maverick nodded at him before walking out of Underworld. He saw her immediately, halfway leaning inside the mouth of the damn skeleton. She had the top of her jumpsuit tied around her waist, showing the tanktop she wore underneath her clothes.

Deciding not to interrupt her, Maverick plopped down on the steps of Underworld and lit a cigarette. She kept exploring the skeleton, completely oblivious to him, and he couldn't help but think she was adorable.

Maverick waited until she was by the tail of the skeleton to make himself known. "You know, you can probably find out what that is in those damn archives you downloaded."

She jumped and whipped around with a sheepish look. "You think so?" she asked, walking over to him.

With a shrug, Maverick tossed her a Nuka-Cola. "Maybe."

Leyah plopped down next to him and tried to twist the cap off of the Nuka-Cola. She cursed for a few moments and Maverick waited for her to hand it out to him…like she always did. She finally held it out to him and he easily twisted the cap off.

"Can I have your Pip-boy?"

Leyah took a swig of the soda before giving him a confused look. "Why?"

"Just give it here. Jesus."

The vault dweller rolled her eyes before unclipping her Pip-boy from her arm. "How hard is it for you to ask nicely?"

"I did, then you started asking questions."

His only reply was a huff.

Maverick dug into the bag of holotapes he brought and stuck one in. A song called Great Balls of Fire started to play, causing Leyah to jump and look at where he set her Pip-boy down.

"How did you-"

"My mom gave me a sack of them when I had to leave the Brotherhood. She stuck them in the pack she gave me. I found a few of the others on my own."

"We should let Three Dog record-"

"Hell no. Then he'll start replaying this shit constantly and ruin it."

Leyah let out a soft laugh before focusing on her Nuka-Cola again. Maverick gently shoved the plate with the mirelurk cakes toward her and she eagerly picked one up. "Thanks."

"No problem."

They sat in a comfortable silence, letting the music from his holotapes fall over them. Maverick looked at her out of the corner of his eye, grinning when he saw the pleased grin on her lips. She was nodding her head to the music and her foot was tapping too. She brushed off the crumbs from the mirelurk cake and set her empty bottle aside, before she stretched. She laid back with her hands behind her head and lost herself in the music.

Maverick picked up another random holotape when the end of the current song was coming to a close. He stuck it in and he stiffened when he realized it was his mom's favorite. The rough croon of Louis Armstrong started to fill the air.

"Heaven, I'm in heaven;

And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak;

And I seem to find the happiness I seek;

When we're out together dancing cheek to cheek."

"My mom loved this shit," Maverick heard himself say.

Leyah peeked up at him, sitting up again as she paid close attention to the song. "I can see why. He's a good singer."

Maverick flicked some ashes off his cigarette. "Wait until Ella Fitzgerald comes in."

Leyah's grin widened and she started to sway to the music.

Shit, she was adorable.

Despite his fears, he finally gave into an urge he had since he started playing the music. He stood up, putting his cigarette out under his heel before holding his hand out to Leyah.

Leyah stared at his hand before looking up at him with those damn, wide pretty eyes of hers. "What are you doing?"

"Don't tell me you never danced before," he teased, beckoning to her.

"Well, yeah. But where did you learn?"

"My dad wasn't a good dancing partner, so my mom used me instead. Do you want to or not?" he asked, arching an expectant brow down at her.

Leyah beamed up at him and put her hand in his and he easily pulled her up. He moved them away from the steps before resting his free hand on the small of her back. He noticed she was trying to keep some space between them, but he wasn't having that today. He pressed on her back until they were chest to chest, and only then did he start to move them.

"Oh I love to go out fishing;

In a river or a creek;

But I don't enjoy it half as much;

As dancing cheek to cheek."

He remembered the steps easily and he almost laughed at how much Leyah was struggling. "Just follow my lead. It doesn't have to be perfect," he chuckled softly.

Leyah looked up at him with a sheepish look. "Sorry, the last time I slow danced was…I think I was 12."

Maverick let out a soft snort. "You mean your teeny bopper boyfriend never danced with you?"

Leyah shook her head. "No, he said it was for wussies and refused to."

"Now mama dance with me;

I want my arms about you;

That charm about you;

Will carry me through."

Maverick rolled his eyes. "Fuck that shit."

Now, she looked curious as he spun her out and back in slowly. "So, the Brotherhood supports music and stuff?"

"The soldiers did. It kept us sane. The Scribes thought it was silly since it wasn't technology."

Leyah made a face at that and Maverick couldn't help but grin. He spun her out and in again right as Ella Fitzgerald came in.

Their eyes met toward the end of the song and Maverick found himself holding his breath. She was looking up at him with wide, hopeful eyes and her lips were slightly parted now. They slowly came to a stop and Maverick was moving before he could think.

He reached up and rested his hands on either side of her neck, using them to tilt her face up as he leaned down.

God, her lips were softer than he ever could have imagined. She tasted like Nuka-Cola and something that he could only describe as Leyah. He pressed his lips against hers more firmly before nibbling on her bottom lip.

Her hands were resting on his chest now and he could feel her fingers curling into the front of his shirt, holding him close.

"Dance with me

I want my arms about you

That charm about you

Will carry me through."

Maverick wished he could freeze this moment in time forever, with Leyah close to him, Cheek to Cheek playing in the background, and things going right for once in his life.

Slowly, as if not to startle her, he started to move his hands down her arms, then her sides, before finally resting on her waist. Her hands moved up to wrap around his neck and Maverick allowed himself to bask in the feeling.

The last chords of the song played and that was when they finally parted. What a Wonderful World—his sister's favorite—started to play and he couldn't help but smile down at Leyah's dazed expression.

"Did that just happen?" she asked softly, tightening her grip around his neck.

"Yeah," he replied just as breathlessly.

They held each other close and started to slowly sway to the music. Leyah bit her lip, causing Maverick's gaze to instantly zero in on her mouth. "How long have you wanted to do that?" she asked.

"After I told you everything. Your damn 'being nice' thing finally got to me," he admitted, linking his hands at the small of her back. He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. "What about you?"

Leyah's eyes wouldn't meet his for a moment before she looked up at him again. "Around the same time."

Maverick let out an amused laugh through his nose. "Damn, we're hopeless."

Leyah grinned and rested a hand against his cheek and Maverick found himself leaning into the touch. "Is that such a bad thing?"

"No. Not really."

Leyah was walking on clouds.

She still thought she was dreaming, but she was happy to stay in it as she and Maverick kept swaying to the music.

Her heart had been hammering throughout the whole song and it almost threatened to burst from her chest when he kissed her. Maverick's kisses were unlike any she had ever experienced before. While he held her close and with a strong grip, it wasn't demanding or forceful, like Wally's. God, maybe it was a good thing he was more experienced than her if this is what it was going to be like.

The next song that played was faster and had a playful beat.

"Oh well, I'm the type of guy who will never settle down."

Maverick stepped back and led them back over to the steps. Leyah was inwardly ecstatic when he didn't let go of her hand.

"My sister loved this one too," he said quietly, tapping his foot along with the song. Leyah sat beside him and leaned against his side.

"They call me the wanderer;

Yeah, the wanderer;

I roam around, around, around."

Leyah bit her lip as she looked up at him before taking a deep breath. "So, what are we now?"

Maverick arched a brow. "What do you mean?"

Leyah shrugged. "I don't know. Calling you my boyfriend or something seems a little juvenile for some reason."

She could feel him shake as he tried to hold back his laughter and she pouted up at him.

"Really?"

"Yes really!" Leyah huffed, sitting up straight and crossing her arms.

Maverick finally let out a laugh. "You think the boyfriend-girlfriend thing isn't serious enough, huh?"

Leyah nodded, waiting for his answer.

"I honestly don't care what we call what we have. All I need to know is that we care about each other. Fuck what anyone else says."

Leyah suddenly realized there was a hidden question in the statement. They never really said they cared about each other and his intense gaze was zeroed in on her. "Well, I care about you. I care about you a lot," she said quietly. She could feel her cheeks getting warmer already.

Relief washed over his features and he smiled at her. God, he had such a good smile. Leyah hoped he would smile more now that their feelings were out in the open. "And I care about you. So fuck everything else."

Eloquent as always, Leyah thought sarcastically with a smile.

Before she could say anything else, he was kissing her again. This kiss was brief and he pulled away far too soon.

Deciding to just bask in the moment, Leyah leaned against him again and listened to the music. A new song started to play and Leyah decided this one was her second favorite.

"I can't believe Three Dog doesn't try to find more holotapes of this guy. He's popular in the Brotherhood," Maverick said, leaning back on his hand.

Leyah snuggled more into his side and looked up at him. "Who is it?"

"Elvis Presley. When I was an Initiate, a friend of mine and I found more than 30 holotapes of just this guy. I think this one is called Burning Love."

"How can one guy make 30 songs?"

"Hell if I know."


	14. Chapter 14

Maverick could tell Leyah was uncomfortable as soon as they returned to Carol's Place.

Shit, not even a couple hours in a relationship and something is already wrong.

Maverick took the key from her and unlocked the door to the 'room' and held it open for her. Leyah gave him a tiny smile before stepping in. Maverick stepped in and closed the door behind him. He let out a soft sigh as he unclipped his ammo belt and harness. Shit, he would have to pad it a little more, it was starting to chafe more than it should.

After a few moments, Maverick discovered what was probably bothering Leyah. She already had her boots off and she was pulling on the sleeves of her vault suit before zipping it up, covering any skin her tanktop exposed before. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, peeking up at him.

Fuck, she didn't think that he was expecting them to…did she?

"What is it, Vaultie?" he asked, trying to sound lighthearted.

She shrugged and started to pick at the mattress.

"You know, they say communication is important for-"

"I don't know what you're expecting from this…that's all," she mumbled.

Maverick plopped down on the bed beside her, giving her plenty of space. "Leyah, we'll only do what you want to do. And, to be honest, your little suicide mission today wore me the fuck out."

Her snort of laughter made him look over at her. She playfully shoved his shoulder. "Ass."

Maverick shifted until he was on his stomach and gently nudged Leyah's hip. "Now relax and get some sleep."

He felt the mattress shift as she laid down next to him and he tried to keep his eyes closed as he felt her shuffle closer to him. He could feel the warmth of her body near his side and that was when he finally peeked at her.

She was plucking at the sleeve of his shirt now, biting her lip. "Mav, how many relationships have you been in?"

"Only one serious one. Why?"

She shrugged and scooted even closer to him. "Just curious."

Maverick knew there was something else, but he didn't have the energy to find out what it was. "Goodnight, Leyah."

"Goodnight."

Leyah had expected things to dramatically change between her and Maverick. But, she was shocked and pleased to find that wasn't the case. The next morning, she woke to the sounds of the diner opening and Maverick was already up. He was sitting outside and cleaning his gun. An unlit cigarette hung out of his mouth and she almost giggled at the sight.

That was something he always did. He would stick a cigarette in and then get distracted by something and it would sit there until he cursed and finally lit it.

Sure enough, he let out a soft 'dammit' and lit the cigarette.

Leyah sat up and got all of their gear together and opened the door. "I was wondering when you would notice."

Maverick curled his lip a little and continued working on his gun.

Leyah rolled her eyes and leaned over and kissed the top of his head before going over and getting breakfast. She hoped Maverick wouldn't mind if she wanted to hug and kiss and all that shit. When she dated Wally, she discovered she loved the contact and affection, which he hated.

Carol gave her a knowing wink as she handed over the Sugar Bombs and Brahmin milk and Leyah tried to not blush as she headed back over to Maverick. Shit, she was going to get teased by _everyone_ now.

She set the Sugar Bombs down beside him and uncapped her bottle of milk. "So, what's the plan?" she asked. She hoped he would want to stop by Jefferson Memorial again. It had been a couple days, surely going one day early wouldn't hurt?

Maverick took his cigarette out and tapped the ashes away. "Well, we have two options. We stay here for another day and scavenge what we can from nearby, or we can just head back to Jefferson Memorial and see if your dad came back yet."

"I like the second option."

Maverick snuffed his cigarette out on a nearby ashtray and he nodded. "Alright, we'll head to Rivet City and pick up what supplies we can before going to Jefferson."

Leyah nodded, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach. For some reason, she couldn't shake that something was _wrong_. She hoped it was just her anxiety talking and not her intuition screaming at her.

The trip back to Rivet City was uneventful for the most part. They only ran into a handful of feral ghouls and everything went smoothly. Leyah let Maverick deal with the vendors in the marketplace. God, she was feeling more and more nervous by the second.

Maverick noticed because _of course_ he did and he didn't push her. On their way to the Jefferson Memorial, only then did he speak. "You feel it too, don't you?"

Leyah bit her lip. Maverick's hunches were usually spot on. If he had the same feeling she did, they were in trouble.

Her whole body felt like it was itching when they did a careful sweep of the upper floor of the memorial. It was exactly as they left it, putrid Super Mutant parts and all. Leyah had to stop herself from sprinting down the stairs. "Please be here," she whispered, hurrying to the back room.

Only to find her note exactly where she left it.

All at once, her whole body felt weak and a soft sob left her as she collapsed to the floor. He wasn't here, which meant something was wrong. He had at least three weeks on them and that was plenty of time for him to be back here.

Jesus, she _had_ to pull herself together. She had to plan. She had to find him, for better or worse.

Maverick knelt down next to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her close to him as tears started to fall. "Shit," she hissed, brushing them away.

Maverick pecked her temple and tightened his hold on her. "We'll find him. I promise."

Leyah bit back another sob and she nodded.

If she and Maverick could get this far, they could find her dad.

She knew they could.


	15. Chapter 15

Maverick was _livid._

Fucking James. Maverick still wanted to thank the bastard but this was ridiculous. Seeing Leyah just break down like that worried him. Leyah _never_ broke down. She always kept her composure and planned what to do next. He hadn't seen her do something like this. He held her close, starting to form a plan in his head. Leyah had found a map of the Vault locations upstairs the first time they were here so they knew where Vault 112 was.

Now, they had to get there.

Maverick did a quick estimation in his head and he came to the conclusion that it would take at least half a day for them to get out there. It would take them less time if they stayed at Megaton tonight and headed out in the morning.

"Ley, we need to get going if we want to get to Megaton before it gets dark," he said, rubbing her back.

She let out a couple sniffles before pulling away enough to look up at him. Her bottom lip quivered, but he was seeing the determination he was used to seeing come back in her eyes. "Okay."

She was quiet the whole way to Megaton, which worried Maverick even more. Leyah was always chattering about something. He couldn't blame her, though. He knew he would be the same if his mom or Rachel was in the same situation.

Megaton came into view late in the afternoon and they made a beeline toward Leyah's house. Leyah opened the door and Maverick was instantly greeted with the sight of a buzz saw.

"Holy shit!"

"Wadsworth, it's okay! He's welcome here!" Leyah quickly yelped, throwing herself between the Mr. Handy and him.

The buzz saw stopped whirring and the robot's multiple eyes narrowed suspiciously. It still creeped Maverick out. Mr. Handys always had this effect on him.

"I'm sorry, ma'am! I was just following my standard security precautions."

Leyah patted the damn thing's dome. "That's quite alright. Has anyone tried to visit since I left?"

Maverick let her do her business with the robot and he dropped his pack next to the lockers before going up the stairs. He knew Moira's would be closed at the moment, so they would have to restock tomorrow. Shit, this was going to be a tough trip, he could feel it.

He stepped into what looked like the bedroom and he collapsed face down on the bed. Damn, he was getting too old for this shit. His whole body ached and he knew it was from traipsing around almost continuously.

Footsteps and the soft clank of armor hitting the floor warned him of Leyah's presence. He heard a drawer open from the dresser nearby and the rustle of her clothing. Fuck, he needed to change himself. He hated sleeping in his armor.

He sagged down into the mattress when he felt her hands start to unbuckle the various straps of his armor. Slowly, he helped her remove all of it until he was just in his shirt and pants.

She settled down beside him and curled against his side. Biting her lip, she started to play with the collar of his shirt. "Mav, I'm scared," she mumbled, "what if he's dead?"

For once, Maverick didn't know what to say. He couldn't tell her everything is going to be okay because that would be a blatant lie and he knew the odds of James being alive was shit. Instead, he wrapped both of his arms around her and held her close. He hated to admit it, but he knew hugs worked better than words sometimes. Rachel constantly picked on him about it whenever he was worried about a mission.

"We'll get through it, I promise," he said softly, kissing the top of her head.

God, he hoped he was right.


	16. Chapter 16

The pit in Leyah's stomach kept getting deeper and deeper with every step west they took.

Maverick was on edge too. Due to his experience with the Brotherhood, she didn't doubt that he had developed some sort of judgement on how trips like this went. She knew he didn't have high hopes for this either.

Leyah _had_ to know what happened, despite the low odds.

They were making good time according to her Pip-boy and they were only a couple hours away from reaching the location on her map.

A low growling sound reached her ears and she almost ran into Maverick when he stopped in his tracks. He held his finger up to his lips and cocked his head, listening closely. Leyah rested a hand on his back and was shocked to feel him trembling.

Wait…oh shit.

She knew what Maverick was afraid of by now, and only one other thing besides heights caused him to shake like this.

"Leyah."

"Yeah?" she whispered.

"Run."

Maverick took off at a dead sprint and Leyah was right on his heels. A deafening roar suddenly boomed out and Leyah picked up the pace.

She heard heavy footsteps start to sound out behind her and her blood turned to ice in her veins.

When she first met Maverick, one of the first things he taught her about was Deathclaws. Basically, he told her they were nearly unstoppable and if you saw one, get the hell out. They sprinted underneath an overpass from the old highway and Leyah's heart dropped when they turned the corner.

They were greeted with the sight of turrets and suit of power armor. The machines instantly turned toward them and Leyah realized they were sitting ducks in the little canyon they were in.

As if this day wasn't already shit.

"Get over here!" a woman's voice barked.

Leyah squeaked when she realized the woman in the power armor was holding a missile launcher and she kept close to Maverick as they got behind the road blocks the woman was using for cover.

The Vault Dweller finally got to get a close look at a Deathclaw and that made her never want to see one again. Its claws were at least as long as her forearm and the milky, white appearance of its eyes seemed soulless as it sprinted toward them. She fired at it and her stomach dropped when it just kept coming, despite the fact both she, Maverick, and the turrets were firing at it.

The woman fired the missile and Leyah ducked down and she felt Maverick hold her close to him. A large thud had the companions looking over the edge of road block. The Deathclaw was still twitching, but a shot from Maverick to it's head fixed that.

Leyah let Maverick help her up and she wrapped her arms around him. He was still trembling and Leyah knew she wasn't any better. She could see why he was so afraid to Deathclaws now.

The click of a gun had her stiffening.

"Never thought I'd see you again, Barrington," the woman's voice sneered.

Leyah peeked around Maverick to see the woman in power armor pointing a laser rifle at them now.

Maverick slowly turned, purposefully keeping himself between the woman and Leyah. Leyah tried to step to the side but Maverick held his arm out.

"Morgan," he growled.

Wait…was this the Morgan that escorted Maverick _out_ of the Brotherhood of Steel?

Leyah didn't hesitate to step away from Maverick and hold up her own gun. She tried to stop her trembling as she heard the turrets zero in on her. This woman helped ruin Maverick's life. She wasn't about to stand aside and let her threaten them.

"Let us walk away, now," Leyah demanded.

Maverick glanced at her before slowly making his way around the road block. Leyah followed him, keeping her rifle aimed at Morgan.

"Why should I? I'm not bound by the Brotherhood's stupid rules anymore. I was so disappointed when I didn't get to shoot you," the woman sneered, charging her rifle.

"What are you even doing out here, Morgan?" Maverick growled.

"Oh? You don't know? After Lyons found out about your dismissal, he did a full on investigation into the Brotherhood. Many of us have been exiled because of **_you_**. You knew this would happen, didn't you?"

Leyah didn't take her eyes off of Morgan, looking for weak points in her power armor. She wasn't shaking out of fear now, she was shaking out of pure _rage_. She knew why Maverick let himself be exiled. He said he knew Lyons would have looked into it and overall, he helped save the Brotherhood of Steel from corruption.

"Did you really think nothing would have happened? He got exiled for the dumbest reason I have ever heard. Who wouldn't question it?" Leyah snapped, charging up her own rifle.

"I'm sorry, did my dad's piece of shit idea not work? Did all of the ass kissing not pay off?" Maverick retorted, holding his shotgun up.

Morgan growled and Leyah flexed her finger, ready to pull the trigger at the first sign of movement.

"You piece of shit!" the woman yelled.

Leyah could feel the sweat rolling down her forehead and she had never felt so tense in her life.

"Defender Morgan! Stop!"

Leyah didn't take her eyes off Morgan, and she wasn't going to relax until Maverick gave her the okay.

Morgan looked away from both of them. "Protector Casdin!"

Another figure in power armor stepped in front of Morgan and Leyah pointed her gun at him instead. His severe expression stopped Morgan's protests in their tracks. Leyah would have shut up too if she had those eyebrows looking at her. Her jaw clenched when she realized that this was another man that was involved in ruining Maverick's life.

Casdin finally realized they were still there and his small, beady eyes widened when he saw Maverick.

"Maverick?!"

"Henry."

Leyah didn't know what to say or do as the four of them stood in a stand off. Morgan still had her gun raised and Maverick hadn't lowered his an inch. "Out of all the bastards I had to run into today, you had to be one of them," Maverick said, cocking his shotgun.

Henry Casdin finally put a hand on Morgan's rifle and forced her to lower it. "Stand the fuck down. We don't need a gun fight after a deathclaw just charged you."

Morgan finally lowered her rifle and Casdin gestured to the Fort. "Go get him."

Even though Leyah couldn't see the woman's face because of her helmet, she imagined a sneer on it. Maverick had yet to lower his own gun and he waited until Morgan walked inside the gate of the fort to do so. Leyah lowered hers as well, arms aching from holding it up for so long.

"Go get who, Casdin?" Maverick demanded, "And what the fuck is going on?"

Casdin sighed and stepped closer to them. "I wasn't the only leader that was exiled, Maverick. I knew we shouldn't have caused your exile but Rothchild and your father insisted and I truly didn't understand it myself. They even failed to give me a good reason."

Maverick barked out a laugh with no humor. "Right, because if you spoke out they would have roasted your ass too. I get it. But I'm not sticking around to chat. You all are probably the last people I want to see. And tell Morgan if she so much as glances at me again, I'll put a bullet between her eyes."

He started to walk away and Leyah moved to follow him, skirting around the deathclaw.

"Maverick—"

"Can it Casdin. I don't want to hear it."

"Maverick."

Both Leyah and Maverick halted in their tracks at the sound of the new voice. Leyah almost thought it was Maverick talking for a moment because they sounded so alike, but this voice was smoother and full of authority.

Somehow, Leyah knew who it was even before they turned around.

Maverick's face was blank and his body was rigid as he stared at the newcomer next to Casdin.

The man had dark, salt and pepper hair and Leyah was amazed at how much he looked like Maverick in the face. The main differences were the eyes and the height.

"Paladin Barrington," Maverick growled.

This day just got a million times worse.


	17. Chapter 17

Maverick was filled with something greater than rage as he stared at Johnathan Barrington.

All of the pain, confusion, and blind hatred he felt toward the man came rushing back at full speed and he was starting to see red.

Barrington started to walk towards them, looking small without his power armor.

Maverick started to stomp forward, but a small hand grabbing at his sleeve stopped him. He glanced down at Leyah, who looked just as pissed but her blue eyes looked up at him pleadingly. Maverick knew he should just leave. He knew they should just move on and avoid any more conflict than they already had. He knew he shouldn't piss off this group of exiled Brotherhood soldiers.

But he just didn't give a damn.

He pulled out of her grip and turned toward Barrington, who was now not even three feet away from him. "Maverick, I—"

Maverick didn't hesitate to smash his fist into his father's face. He could feel the nose break under his knuckles and he knew he was going to be feeling this tomorrow, but he didn't give a shit. "You motherfucker. You think you can just _talk _to me after what you fucking did?!"

The steely anger Maverick was used to seeing his Barrington's eyes quickly returned and the former Head Paladin wiped away some of the blood dripping from his nose. "No, I didn't. But I owe you an explanation."

Maverick scoffed and lifted his gun again. "An explanation? I get what happened. You were trying to get people who wouldn't like your ideas out of the picture so you could all eventually take over. Fuck you."

Maverick could hear the whine of Leyah's laser rifle firing up and he lowered his gun. He hoped to see the bastard turn into green goo if he so much made a move towards them. John Barrington sighed and Maverick just became angrier when he put his hands on his hips, looking at him like he was a child.

"Elder Lyons was going to name you the new Head Paladin and name his daughter the leader of the Lyons Pride. We knew that if that happened, our goals and hopes of overthrowing him could never be achieved, so we took action. I'll admit, we were rash and didn't come up with a good plan. And now we're paying the price for it."

Maverick felt as if a bucket of radwater was just poured on his head. He felt sick and his blood turned to ice in his veins. "You…had me exiled because I was going to take your fucking spot?"

The barely there glint of guilt in his father's eyes was enough for Maverick. "You had me—your own son—banished from the only life he knew, because he didn't agree with your ideals? You had me exiled because you fucking didn't want to give up your title?"

Maverick's throat started to close up, but he would be damned if he cried in front of these bastards. "I'm glad your dumbass idea wasn't thought out. I'm glad it was so horrible that the Elder saw right through it. I'm glad you're far away as possible from my fucking mother and sister. You were never good for them."

John opened his mouth to argue, but Maverick wasn't going to listen to excuses. "Mom loved you _so _much you fucking piece of shit. She defended you for years as she took the hits that were meant for us." He lifted his gun again. "And this is for her."

He quickly pointed down and shot the bastard in the leg.

Maverick's heart turned cold as he turned and walked away, trying to block out the sounds of his father's screams.

He kept walking until he couldn't see straight because of his tears. He finally stopped and he almost jumped when he felt Leyah's fingers intertwine with his.

And for the first time in years, Maverick broke down.

hr

Everything made sense now, and Leyah wondered if knowing the truth was better or not.

She always thought the excuse Maverick's father and the other men made to have him exiled was stupid as shit. It just didn't add up, but what was Maverick supposed to do when the Lyons Pride was on the line and that bitch Morgan had a gun to his back? And she had a feeling that Johnathan Barrington would have had no problem using Maverick's friends and family against him to get his way and she knew Maverick knew this.

But now…the real reason was a thousand times worse than the fake reason.

Leyah was almost in shock when she heard Barrington admit that he wanted Maverick gone because they wanted to overthrow Lyons. She almost shot the asshole when he said the other reason was because Maverick was going to be promoted into his spot.

She didn't say anything as she stood with Maverick and just held his hand. Angry tears were running down his face and he just seemed…hollow. It scared Leyah to see the man she was so used to being headstrong and confident be this worn down.

She noticed a small house near the old highway and she gently tugged his hand. "Come on, we can rest for a little bit before we have to get moving again."

Maverick nodded and wiped at his face. "Sorry," he managed to croak out.

Leyah cupped his cheek and made him look down at her and she shook her head. "Don't say that again, okay?"

Maverick reached up and touched her hand and curled his fingers around hers, leaning into her touch. "Okay, let's get the fuck out of here."

They made it to the shack with only a mole rat as a surprise and they set up mines outside before finally relaxing.

Maverick had sagged down into a random chair at the wobbly table and he buried his face in his hands.

Leyah sat in the chair next to his and started to rub his back, resting her head on his shoulder. She wanted to ask questions and see if he was okay, but she knew that was the last thing he needed right now.

They sat there for about an hour, not focusing on anything but each other's presence. Maverick finally spoke and he was speaking so softly Leyah almost didn't hear him. "He hit my mom all the time. I wasn't stupid. And I noticed he hit her more whenever I talked back or if Rachel didn't do well in training. I felt so fucking guilty, knowing that she was stopping him from hitting us instead." He swallowed heavily and looked down at the ground. "And my mom kept defending him, even when I told her she could move closer to where the Lyon's Pride was so she could be safe. But she said no. She fucking loved him."

He took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "And you know, I'm kind of glad I know the truth. I'm glad to know that what I did exposed every single fucker that was involved. I'm glad Lyons was able to see through them because of what I did."

Leyah leaned against him and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "I'm sorry you had to find out that way."

Maverick sighed and Leyah felt a warm, fluttering feeling settle in her belly when he rested his cheek on her head, despite the situation.

"Yeah, it fucking sucks," he said, tightening his hold around her. "But I'm glad you were there. I was hoping to see him turn into green goo."

Leyah snorted softly. "I wanted to see it too."

She didn't know how long they sat there, holding each other, but Maverick finally sighed and picked up her left arm, looking at the Pip-Boy. "We better get our asses moving. Hopefully your dad is less dramatic."

Leyah wanted to talk to him more about what happened, but she also wanted to get going to find her dad.

"Mav, I know you don't want to talk about it now…but promise you will, okay?"

She just wanted to let him know that she was there and was willing to listen. And she felt that was all he needed right now. But she also knew this trip could help take his mind off of it by focusing on getting to Vault 112.

Maverick put his fingers under her chin and lifted her head up to meet his gaze. "I promise, Ley. Thank you."

He said it so softly and tenderly and Leyah felt her heart thud in response. He pressed his lips against hers for a chaste kiss before standing up and wiping his face on his sleeve. "Alright, lets go find your son-of-a-bitch dad."


	18. Chapter 18

Vault 112 had to be the creepiest place Maverick had ever been in.

He and Leyah were still cautiously making their way down the halls, even after that robot was more than happy to give both he and Leyah the jumpsuits.

Maverick was glad they were basically on a mission after what happened at Fort Independence. It was the perfect distraction. He studied his Vaultie for a moment and he couldn't help but grin. She truly was amazing. She fucking yelled at Morgan for him and she held a gun up to his own dad. And the fact that she was just _there_ afterwards did more than Maverick wanted to admit.

He didn't know what would have happened if she wouldn't have been there.

They finally made it to the main chamber, which had a bunch of pods connected to a large computer in the middle. Maverick glanced in one and saw that it was empty. What he saw in the next one almost made him yelp in surprise.

The person in the pod was almost skeletal they were so skinny. He could see their eyes barely moving as they stared at the screen in front of them. IVs and tubes were inserted all over their body, probably keeping them alive. The woman—at least, he thought it was a woman—had a grey color about her and her hair was almost all gone. Her dress looked like something out of the old Pre-war magazines.

Leyah squeaked in surprise when she looked to see what he was looking at. "What the fuck is going on here?!" she hissed, staring at the woman in horror.

"I don't know, but it's not fucking right whatever it is. I don't like this at all, Ley."

"I don't either," she said, stepping over to the computer the pod was connected to. "It has her name, vitals, brain activity, everything. Holy shit."

"What?" Maverick asked, looking over her shoulder at the screen.

"It says she was born in 2033."

"No fucking way," he said, looking back at the skeletal remains of the woman. "And she's alive?"

"Yes. Somehow, the brain is being kept alive. Mav, this is just awful," she said, voice shaking.

Maverick cursed under his breath and started to look in the other pods. "What the fuck is going on here?"

Leyah started to look at the other computers, avoiding looking at the people in the pods. Maverick's heart sunk when he saw what looked like a little boy sitting in one of them. "Jesus Christ, this is…"

Maverick didn't know what it was.

"Oh no," he heard Leyah whisper.

He looked to see her sprint over to a different pod and she started to pull on the hatch. "Dad!"

Maverick sprinted over as well and tried to pull as well, but the hatch wasn't going to budge. He looked inside to see an older version of the Dr. James Hunter he knew. The man was staring straight forward just like the others were, and he had only one IV in his arm.

Leyah was beating on the side of the glass almost hysterically now. "You asshole! Why did you go in alone you stupid jerk?! How could you be so reckless?!"

Maverick quickly got over to her and pulled her away from the pod. "Leyah, lets look around and see if there is any way we can open them. Where would all of those controls be?"

Leyah looked up at him and his heart sunk more when he saw tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Jesus, he didn't know who had a worse day. Him or her. "Right. Controls….they would most likely be in the Overseer's office."

Maverick gestured to the stairs nearby. "Let's go figure something out."

They wandered through the hallways for what seemed like hours until they finally found a large, locked door on the top floor. Leyah easily hacked into the computer and the door opened with a hiss. Another pod was in the office and a terminal sat near it.

Holding up his gun, Maverick stepped close enough to the pod to look inside of it as Leyah flipped the switch for the light. The man inside the pod was just as skeletal and tube filled. "Jesus Christ," he grumbled, lowering his shotgun.

Leyah was already at the terminal. "This is…disgusting. I can't believe Vault Tec would allow this."

Maverick slung his rifle over his shoulder, glancing at the screen over her shoulder. "Considering what I've found in other Vaults, 101 is probably one of the few that was actually made for living in."

Only the sound of typing was his response as Leyah looked through the terminal. "He was...experimenting on these people. He was putting them in different scenarios in a virtual world and slowly killing them each time. God," she slumped down into the office chair. "And my Dad willingly walked into it. I was only able to hack into these computers because the dust was disturbed. My dad saw this and _knew_ what the hell was going on and he went in anyway."

She slammed her hand down on the desk with a growl of frustration. "When we get him out I'm punching him!"

"But how are we going to get him out? Can you override it from here?"

Maverick hated bursting her bubble, but they had to make a plan.

Leyah turned back to the terminal and started to search. Maverick patiently waited, trying to avoid looking at the damn pod the crazy scientist was in.

"Fuck!"

"What?"

Leyah pushed away from the terminal angrily and she stared up at him. "The only way to disable the program is _inside_. Shit shit shit shit!"

Maverick didn't know what to do. The only way to stop this shit was by going into one of those pods? There was no way in _fucking_ hell he was letting her do that because he sure as hell wouldn't know what to do in there.

"I have to go in."

"No."

Leyah stood up and scowled up at him. "Maverick, the only way we can find out where the G.E.C.K is and get my dad out is going in. I'm going."

"No. You. Are. Not," Maverick seethed, glaring right back at her.

"You're not the boss of me!"

"No, I'm you're fucking boyfriend and I don't like the idea of letting someone I care deeply about stepping into one of those death pods!"

"There's no other way! I have to go in and-"

"What about me, Leyah?! What am _I_ going to do? Say you go in and never come back out, what the fuck am I going to do?!"

That shut her up.

She bit her lip and stared down at the floor. "Maverick, I can't let my dad become one of those skeletons, I can't," she choked out.

Maverick's own throat closed up and he blinked rapidly. "Leyah, don't."

Shit, he couldn't take this right now. Running into his dad was exhausting enough, but arguing with Leyah to not do something suicidal? He was worn thin.

Tears were running down her face now as she stared up at him. "Mav," she said softly, reaching up and cupping his cheek.

Maverick leaned into her touch and he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her. "Let's sleep on it and make a decision when we aren't so tired, okay?"

He felt her nod and he held back a sigh of relief.

Hopefully, they could figure something out.

hr

Leyah regretted everything she decided on.

She glanced toward the storage room she and Maverick had decided to sleep in…and where Maverick still slept.

She knew he wasn't going to bend on not letting her go in. He was one of the most stubborn people she knew and he wasn't going to change his mind. Leyah couldn't sit to the side knowing her dad was stuck in some virtual horror show. She had changed into the Vault 112 jumpsuit and was staring at the empty pod in front of her. Should she dare?

She looked over at the pod her dad was in.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and got in. The straps on the armrests clamped down on her arms and pushed up the sleeve on her left arm. The machine got ready to insert an IV. She stared at the screen in front of her and she gasped when everything went black.

The first thing she saw was grey blurs. When she finally focused in, she saw that she was in what almost looked like a Pre-War magazine. The lawns and houses were perfectly manicured and everything was clean. A young boy sat at a lemonade stand a couple houses over and people were going about their days everywhere.

A young girl was in the playground in the middle, watering some flowers there.

Leyah looked down at herself and she sucked in a breath when she saw a little girls legs and hands, not her own.

She stood up, brushing off the skirts of the dress she wore. A low bark had her looking at a German Shepard sitting nearby. The eyes seemed oddly familiar as the dog cocked his head. "Hi there," she said, cringing at the high pitched sound of her voice.

The dog stepped forward and nudged her leg with his nose. Looking over at the girl in the playground and back at her. "Should I talk to her?" she asked, looking at the girl as well.

She figured the dog was probably one of the people in the pods, why wouldn't he help her?

She made her way over to the playground, glad that the dog was following close behind. She kept a lookout for her dad as she looked around the neighborhood. Something was deeply wrong and it caused goosebumps to raise on her arms. The sooner she got out of here, the better.

"Maverick is going to kill me," she said to no one in particular.


	19. Chapter 19

Three days.

It's been three _fucking_ days since she got in there.

Maverick glared at the pod, feeling sick inside when he looked at the vacant expression on Leyah's face.

He honestly wasn't surprised to discover that she hopped in the damn thing in the middle of the night. He was too tired at the time to even think about it. She was just as stubborn as he was and he knew she would have stamped and shouted until he let her get in the pod.

Maverick was still livid, regardless.

He drummed his fingers against his shotgun, slumping down in the chair he set next to the terminal connected to her pod. It said her vitals were okay and her brain was still active, and that was all Maverick needed to know.

He knew he shouldn't doubt her, she's performed some damn miracles before, but that didn't lessen his worry.

What if she didn't come out? Was he doomed to leave and know that he left the woman he possibly loved inside a sick science experiment for the rest of his days?

Love…Maverick never truly applied that word to anyone besides his mother and sister.

He was pretty sure he did care about her that much. It was shit that his fucking brain didn't figure that out until she jumped into a death pod.

All of the terminals at the center computer suddenly started to beep and go off. Their screens were flashing red and alarms sounded everywhere. Only Leyah's remained stable. Maverick wasn't going to take chances. He quickly flipped the chair he was sitting on over and he broke off one of the wooden legs. He got over to her pod and swung as hard as he could.

He grinned in satisfaction when the glass cracked a little. He swung again, grunting from the effort and the cracks in the glass webbed out a little farther.

Footsteps were his only warning and he saw James Hunter's reflection in the glass of the pod. He ducked as the doctor swung a fist and he jumped away, facing him.

"I'm not trying to hurt her!" he said loudly, holding up his hands, dropping the chair leg.

"Who are you?!" James demanded, wobbling a little on his feet.

Shit, he was probably in that pod for who knows how long. He must have been weak as fuck.

Maverick didn't have time for this. "Look, I'm trying to get her out. I'm not going to hurt her."

James was now trying to get over to the pod. "I'm not going to let you…" he trailed off as he wheezed a little. He stumbled and started to collapse.

Maverick cursed and quickly caught him, lowering him slowly to the ground. A loud hissing noise had him looking over at Leyah's pod and he hurried to its side. The machine pulled the IV out of her arm and Maverick caught her as she started to tip forward. Pressing his hands to either side of her neck, he felt her pulse beating strongly and regularly against his skin.

"Thank God," he breathed, running his thumbs along her jaw.

Her eyes finally fluttered open and she looked around hazily before meeting his gaze. Maverick felt his throat close up when she smiled at him. "Hey," she said weakly.

"Hey."

He pulled her close, just relishing in the fact that she was alright.

There was time to chew her ass out later.

* * *

Well, he wasn't yelling at her yet.

Leyah clung to Maverick, still getting used to being back in reality. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, trembling in his arms.

"You're still in fucking trouble," he grumbled, squeezing her tighter.

"I know," she barely managed to laugh. Her throat felt drier than the wasteland.

Maverick pulled away and said, "Let's get you and your dad back on your feet…then I'll chew your sorry little ass out."

Leyah's eyes widened and she looked around frantically. "Where is he?"

Maverick shifted to the side, revealing her dad's prone form on the floor. "He came swinging at me and I think that took the little energy he had left."

Without thinking, Leyah stood up as quickly as she could and she immediately regretted it. Her head spun and she felt wobbly. Maverick quickly wrapped an arm around her waist and easily lifted her out of the pod. He handed her a bottle of water and made sure she could stand before walking over to her dad. "Where do you want him?"

Leyah took a sip of water, leaning heavily against the pod. "In the room we were staying in."

Maverick was easily able to sling her dad over his shoulders and he took Dad to the storage room. He jogged back and let her hold onto his waist as he walked her over to the room.

Leyah finally was feeling less dizzy and better now that she had some water and she pulled out a stimpak, injecting it into her arm where the IV was. Normally, she would have just recovered naturally, but she needed all of her strength and wits to help her dad.

She tossed the used stimpak in a crate and started to inspect her dad, already feeling the effects of the medicine.

"He's severely dehydrated and probably weak from not eating real food for however long he was in there," she said, pulling at the skin on the back of his hand. The skin didn't recoil right away and that made her worry. What could she do with the limited resources she had?

She had to get him awake long enough to eat something.

She grabbed another stimpak and injected it into his arm. Thankfully, it was able to do it's work. James' eyelids started to flutter open and he looked up at her. "Sweetheart," he croaked, reaching up to her.

"Shh, I need you to eat and drink something, Dad."

Maverick, thankfully, had a bottle of water and some Fancylads snack cakes ready for her. She gave him a grateful smile before helping her dad take small sips of water and eating as much of a cake as he could.

After getting through one bottle and half a pack of cakes, he fell asleep again. At least he was sleeping instead of passed out this time.

Leyah took a step and she stumbled. "How long was I in there?" she asked, leaning heavily on the table.

"Three damn days," Maverick answered, crossing his arms with a scowl.

Shit.

"Mav, I promise to let you yell at me and I know what I did was wrong," she said, meeting his eyes.

Maverick sighed and uncrossed his arms. "Like I said, I'll chew your ass later. What else do you need?"

Leyah bit her lip and remembered that a medical bay was across the main chamber. "Can you help me get to the med bay across the room?"

After a slow walk, they finally made it. Leyah grabbed all of the supplies she would need for an IV and she and Maverick made it back to James. She was able to get the IV started and get fluids going.

She slumped down into a chair after she was finished. Her stomach was churning for a different reason now.

She blatantly betrayed Maverick and went behind his back to pull the stunt she did. She had no excuse and she felt horrible about it.

"Maverick-"

"You know what pisses me off about you sometimes?!" Maverick interrupted, glaring down at her.

Leyah bit her lip, shaking her head.

"You give so much of yourself and you don't even take time for your own fucking self. I know you jumped in that damn thing to save your dad, but Jesus Leyah, you have to think about yourself sometimes. Do you know how fucking terrified I was when I saw you in that thing?!" he snarled. He was starting to pace as he ranted. "All I could think was about what I would have to do if you never came out. How do you think I would have felt knowing I would have to leave you down here?! Fuck, did you even think about how all of this would have affected me?!"

Leyah felt like throwing up. No, she didn't think about any of that, and that made her realize just how much her decisions effected them _both_ now.

"Maverick, I—"

"I'm not done yet! Leyah, you're probably one of the few good things that happened to me in 8 years and I almost lost it…again!"

They stared at each other for what seemed like hours. Tears pooled in Leyah's eyes and she blinked rapidly as her throat closed up.

"You're the best thing that happened to me too," she whispered, trying not to outright cry.

It was true, without Maverick, who knew what would have happened to her. She would probably be dead now and it was because of him she made it this far. He became the friend she could lean on and the companion that took her loneliness away.

Maverick huffed and paced a little more before stopping and meeting her eye again. He squatted down in front of her and took her hands in his. "Promise me one thing, just one teensy fucking thing, please?"

She nodded, still holding back tears.

"Don't ever pull a stunt like that again. We're in this together dammit and I can't stand the thought of losing you because of some dumbass mistake."

Leyah's tears finally fell and she nodded, sniffling. "I'm so sorry," she managed to choke out, leaning forward to wrap her arms around his neck. His strong arms clung to her and Leyah basked in how safe she felt. She kept repeating how sorry she was over and over again, burying her face further in his neck.

They finally parted and Maverick handed her another water bottle and a can of cram. "I'm going to be pissed about this for a while, but for what it's worth I'm pretty fucking glad you're okay."

"I really am sorry," she said once again, reaching forward to cup his cheek.

He sighed through his nose and stared at her with an unreadable expression for the longest time. Finally, he turned his head and kissed her palm before standing up. "You can make it up to me by resting and getting better. And by listening to me for fucking once."

Leyah grinned at him and tucked into her cram, glancing over at Dad.

This was going to be a long day.


	20. Chapter 20

James Hunter never imagined seeing his daughter here of all places.

He woke to the sound of her voice and a deeper one.

"So what should we do? Should we wait until he's fully back to fighting shape or do you think we can make it if he's in a weakened state?" Leyah was saying.

"That's a big chance. Yao Guai love this area and we ran into a Deathclaw on the way here. Chances are that another one would like to play tag on the way back."

"Damn."

James managed to turn his head and he saw his daughter sitting in a chair nearby, most likely so she could keep an eye on him. The man he saw before he passed out was sitting in another chair, cleaning what looked to be a shotgun. An unlit cigarette was hanging out of his mouth as he worked.

"It's already been three days though, we only brought enough food for a week and we're going to be short."

The man cursed softly and lit his cigarette. "We still have the meat from the mole rats. And I found a little more food in the vault."

Leyah nodded and hummed in thought. "I think we should try to get him back to Megaton first. Or your house, either way, it would be better than here."

"I agree that this place is shit but it's safe for now. I think we should wait until he's able to walk and help us fight if need be."

"I can help just fine," James managed to croak.

Leyah head whipped around to look at him and basically leaped out of her chair. "Dad!"

James reached up and ran his knuckles across his daughter's cheek when she reached his side. God, she looked so much like Katherine it hurt. James missed her so much and seeing her here was like being in a dream. "Honey…you _saved_ me. I was afraid I'd be trapped in there forever," James said, hoping she could see how grateful and happy he was to see her. "But what are you doing here?"

Leyah's brows pinched and pressed her lips in a thin line and James immediately knew he was in trouble.

"What am I doing here?!" she hissed. She shoved on his arm. "What am I doing here?! Did you think that Almodavar would have just let you go and leave me alone?! He hated us! Did you even think about what would have happened?" She started to pace and James knew he was in a deeper pit than he thought.

"Amata woke me up in the middle of the night so I could escape! They killed Jonas, Dad! I was next!"

James stared at his daughter in shock. Jonas is dead? He knew Almodavar wouldn't be happy that he left, but he never imagined the man would turn on his residents that quickly.

"And do you want to know what I've been through after that?! It took dealing with a sleazy bartender to tell me that I wasn't even born in the Vault and that you've been LYING to me my whole life! And then I got chased by raiders, almost killed by God knows what, get snatched by Super Mutants, blown up, and who knows what else LOOKING FOR YOU!" She waved her arms wildly toward the pods in the other room. "And then you jump into one of those damn things with no one to back you up! What the hell were you thinking?!"

Leyah was almost vibrating she was so angry and all James could do was stare in utter shock.

She pointed over at the man. "If it wasn't for him I would be dead by now!"

James slowly sat up, feeling a little dizzy as he moved to sit on the edge of the makeshift bed. He looked over at the man. "May I have a moment alone with my daughter, please?"

The man nodded and stood. He stopped by Leyah and rested a hand on her shoulder and they shared a look before stepping out of the room.

The door slid shut with a hiss, leaving James and his daughter in a tense silence.

"I am glad to see you, Sweetie, but I just didn't expect to ever-"

"See me again? After you left without saying a word and just leaving a damn holotape?" Leyah hissed, crossing her arms and turning away.

James could see her lip quiver and his heart clenched and his stomach tumbled, just like it did whenever he saw his baby girl cry.

"Leyah, Sweetie, I love you. I love you so much, but Project Purity has been my responsibility since before you were born. When I discovered there was a way to make it work, I had to see this through. So many people have sacrificed for this, your mother included."

Leyah bit her lip and looked up at the ceiling, blinking rapidly. "Why didn't you just tell me then? Did you not trust me? Did you think I would have a fit and tell the Overseer? Do you know how shitty I felt when I learned you've been lying to me all this time?"

"To protect you!"

Leyah whipped around, glaring at him. "How could you leave me like that? What the hell were you thinking?"

James gestured to the two dirty packs on the floor and the guns next to them. "I wanted you to be safe! I didn't want this for you—a life out here in this godforsaken warzone. And I know you. I couldn't tell you what I was doing because I didn't want you following me."

He knew his daughter's anger was justified, and he knew they needed to have this talk, but he wished she would just understand.

Leyah opened her mouth but shut it quickly and she looked away.

"A plan, which was clearly not as successful as I imagined it would be," he continued.

Leyah scoffed. "Not by choice! I was run out. Almodavar put the whole damn vault on a lockdown."

James scowled at that. "I truly believed he wouldn't react that way. I'm sorry you had to go through that, Sweetie."

With a tired sigh, his daughter stepped over and hopped up on the table, sitting next to him.

"For what it's worth, it's so good to see you again," James added on quietly.

Leyah leaned her head against his shoulder. "It's good to see you too, Daddy."

James lifted up his arm and rested it on her shoulders, pulling her closer. "I thought I was done for in there."

Leyah peeked up at him. "What? You didn't like being a dog?"

A bark of laughter escaped him. There was the sense of humor he loved. "While it had its perks, I prefer apposable thumbs."

James glanced out the window of the storage room, watching as the man walked around the main chamber, acting like he was on patrol.

"Now, are you going to tell me who your friend is?"

Leyah pulled away slightly and she gave him a big smile. "You've…actually met him before. He was way younger then."

James wracked his brain, trying to think of the face. Suddenly, the face of a young Brotherhood of Steel Initiate came to mind.

"Is he the Barrington kid?"

Leyah's smile grew and she nodded. "Yep! You helped save his sister a long time ago. That's why he first agreed to help me. He kept helping me because we became friends though."

James couldn't believe it. The Barrington kids were all grown up now. "Why is he here and not with the Brotherhood?"

His daughter went quiet and she opened and closed her mouth many times, as if she couldn't make up her mind to tell him or not. "I'll let him tell you," she finally said, getting down from the table.

She set a bottle of water beside him along with a pack of Dandy Boy Apples before jogging over to the door. It slid open with a hiss and she cupped her hands around her mouth.

"Mav!" she called out.

"What have I told you about calling me that?!" a deep voice snapped.

"Don't I get special privileges now?"

"No."

James arched a brow as he listened to the exchange. Was there more than what he was seeing? He decided to wait until he saw more before he would ask about it. The man finally stepped in and Leyah closed the door after him.

Maverick Barrington was a perfect mixture of his parents. James could see Johnathan in his face, but everything else was Eleanor. Even the bright blue-green eyes were the same. And James couldn't believe that the tall and lanky 14 year old he remembered turned into the lumbering soldier in front of him.

"I was told that you helped my daughter because of something I did for you?" he stated, looking at Maverick expectantly.

Maverick set his shotgun aside and he stepped closer to the table. "Yes, sir."

"While I appreciate it, I feel like I owe you the debt now," James said, taking a sip of water.

"To be frank, you don't owe me shi—anything. You saved my sister's life and I didn't get to properly thank you then. Thank you, sir."

James held back a chuckle at Maverick's attempt to not curse. "And you are most welcome. Now, how about you both tell me how you came to get here?"

James listened about Maverick rescuing Leyah in Springvale and how he took her under his wing for a few weeks. Then about Maverick setting her on her way and eventually following her. The story was full of ghouls, raiders, and everything in-between. But, one question remained.

"Maverick, why aren't you with the Brotherhood of Steel now? I would think that Johnathan and Eleanor would have tried to keep you there."

Maverick's jaw clenched and he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "I didn't leave by choice. Let's just say my father and the others didn't agree with Lyons and I got exiled trying to stop them when Lyons was gone on a field op."

James stared in shock. Johnathan Barrington was many things, but a traitor was one thing he never would have labeled him with.

"Well, that definitely explains things."

He arched a brow at how his daughter rested a hand on Maverick's shoulder and Maverick glanced at her with a tiny grin.

Ah, so his assumptions were correct.

"So, when were you going to tell me you were in a relationship, Leyah?" he asked.

It was almost comical when Leyah's eyes almost bulged out of her skull. Maverick didn't look fazed in the least. "Shit, we never talked about breaking it to your dad did we?" he said, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket.

Leyah gave Maverick 'the look'. God, she looked so much like Katherine when she did that.

James waited patiently while his daughter fidgeted in her seat and wrung her hands together. "Well, yeah, Maverick and I are together."

While James trusted his daughter's judgement, he was a little hesitant about this. "I see."

Deciding to not open that can of cram at the moment, he let out a fake yawn. "Well, all of us are tired, I think. Let's talk about this another time."

Leyah gave him a suspicious look and he knew she was onto him.

James gave her a small smirk before laying down on his 'bed' and falling asleep again.


	21. Chapter 21

The way back to Megaton wasn't that bad, actually.

Once James was able to move around and do things without their help, they finally left Vault 112 a day after he woke up and they were making good time.

James kept insisting they press onto Rivet City, but both Maverick and Leyah weren't budging. They were stopping in Megaton and that was the end of it.

Maverick wondered what the scientist thought about him and Leyah. He never was one to care about what other people thought, but he suddenly gave many shits about whether Dr. James Hunter liked him or not.

Then again, he knew it was probably because he knew Leyah was close to her Dad and he didn't want to fuck that up in any way.

Leyah didn't seem to care as much.

"So, where did you grow up? Since the whole Vault thing isn't real," Leyah was asking.

She refused to leave her dad's side in case he needed her.

"I grew up a little north here and moved here when I was around your age. I met your mother when I walked into Rivet City to possibly work for Pinkerton."

Leyah was beaming. While Maverick knew she was still pissed about her dad lying to her, he knew she was having a hay day learning all this new shit about her dad.

Luckily, the only thing that attacked them was a mole rat. Maverick was able to easily take it out with one shot.

Megaton was a welcome sight for once and Maverick had never been happier to see the damn town. Sleeping in a sleeping bag on a metal floor wasn't a good night's sleep after all. Maverick knew he was probably going to be on Leyah's couch, but he didn't give a shit.

He only allowed himself to relax after Leyah locked her door behind them. James looked impressed. "How did you get a key to a house? That's a feat that takes most people months," James asked, bewildered.

Knowing how Leyah was, Maverick quickly answered. "Vaultie here decided she needed to disarm that bomb. Lucas was happier than a mutie with meat bag."

James stared at his daughter, dumbfounded. "You what?"

Leyah looked sheepish and she laughed nervously. "He was offering caps and Maverick taught me how to disable mines and stuff. I also read about them in the Vault…so yeah."

"Honey, do you know how dangerous that is?"

"Yeah, but I didn't like the idea of an active bomb in the middle of this place. And I really needed the caps so I could pay Moriarty to find _you_."

That shut James up.

Maverick pulled off his pack and tossed it on the couch. "I'm going up to check on Gob. Do you want anything?"

She shook her head and Maverick could tell she was holding back the urge to hug him when she reached out to him for a moment and then quickly dropped her hands. Fixing the problem, he stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I'll be back soon."

She grinned up at him and that grin only widened when he pecked the top of her head.

Maverick sucked in a deep breath of air as he stepped out into Megaton. After this past week, he needed a drink. A strong one.

He started to walk and halted in his tracks when he heard the sound of the door to Leyah's house opening. James was walking out of the house. "I convinced her to let me come with you. I think we need to chat."

Uh oh.

Maverick knew this game, and he knew that if he wanted his and Leyah's relationship to continue, he had to play it. He nodded and waited for the other man to catch up before continuing his way up toward the bar. While Maverick hated Moriarty, he was more than happy to give his caps to Gob. He always paid double the amount so Gob could keep some caps for himself.

The ghoul needed it since he was basically a damn slave.

He stepped in and was pleasantly surprised to find that the piece of shit bar was almost empty. "Gob! Pour me a strong one!" Maverick said with a smirk as he walked up to the bar.

Gob almost dropped the glass he was holding. "Maverick! You're back. Did you find the Vault dweller?"

"Sure did. And she's back at home," he plopped down onto a bar stool, turning to James, "care for a drink? Or has Doctor Hunter down there forbidden you?"

James technically was still sick, and Maverick knew Leyah would kick his ass if he gave her dad alcohol. Then again, James was a big boy who could make his own damn decisions.

"Scotch, please. And between you and I, no, I'm not supposed to be drinking yet."

Maverick pulled a cigarette from his pocket. "You know I'm going to tell her if she asks, right?"

James arched a brow at him and shrugged. "I've handled her wrath before. I'll survive."

Maverick snorted around his cigarette and he cursed when he realized he forgot to light it. He lit it and took a long drag.

"So what's your game?" James finally asked, addressing the deathclaw in the room.

"Game? I wasn't aware I was playing a game."

"Don't pull your sarcastic stuff on me, I need a straight answer from you," James continued, taking a sip of his scotch.

Maverick sighed. He knew these questions were coming, but he wasn't going to sit there and let this man threaten him. The threats haven't come yet, but Maverick knew James was itching to say them. Honestly, he didn't blame James for having some problems with him and Leyah. Maverick was about 14 years older and he had been wandering the Wasteland for almost a decade now. He wouldn't want his kid with someone like him either.

But, Maverick also knew he was better than the typical Wastelander prick and he actually cared for his vault dweller.

"First of all, there is no game, like I said. And two, sarcasm is my first language. Ask Gob here."

Gob frowned at him, obviously not wanting to be pulled into this.

James set his scotch down. "I just want to know who exactly my daughter is with. While I trust her judgement, I can't help but wonder if she's with you because she feels like she owes you something for helping her or if you are tricking her somehow."

Yep, this man definitely grew up in the Wasteland. Maverick would be wondering the same things if he was wearing James' sorry shoes. "Well, I hate to tell you this, but neither are happening in our case. No drama tonight."

Gob, being the bartender he was, perked up. "Wait, you and Leyah are a thing? Moira will be so happy!"

Maverick liked Gob, but he wanted to toss him off the balcony at the moment. He gave the ghoul a hard look while taking another drag from his cigarette. Gob was a smart ghoul. He went into the back room.

"And if you want to know who she's with, I'm just some poor bastard trying to make it out here after being dumped on his ass," he gestured to the door, "And she's the first good thing that happened to me in eight years and I'd be damned if I let anything happen to her."

He met James' even stare with his own, hoping the man would be convinced.

"What exactly happened with the Brotherhood? I feel like you weren't telling me the whole truth back in the Vault."

Shit.

Maverick knew this would come up, since James was so familiar with the Brotherhood after working with them for Project Purity. "Like I told you, my dad and his asshole gang were trying to start a coup and I got in the way. And my dad wanted to keep his shiny title and not give it up to the son he despised."

James' brow furrowed as he stared at Maverick for many moments. "I didn't know that second part," he let out a huff of a laugh, "I'm actually finding the second part more believable than the first. None of us liked your father. Your mother though…we liked her."

Maverick couldn't help but grin. A lot of people liked his mom. It was hard not to. His heart clenched at the thought of her.

"Since your father and the others who wronged you were banished; you could go back now. Will you?"

Well damn.

To be honest, Maverick hadn't really thought of that. He was so focused on helping Leyah and being angry at his dad to really think about it. He could go _home_. He could see his mom's kind smile and hear his sister's loud laugh again. He could see his friends and go back to the life he knew.

But it felt wrong, because if Leyah wasn't there it wouldn't be worth it.

Maverick absolutely knew he loved her now and he wasn't going anywhere without her.

_She_ was home.

"That depends," he finally answered, finishing off his cigarette.

"On what?"

"On Leyah."

James' eyes narrowed. "You would wander out here with her instead of going back to the Citadel?"

"Yes."

"Completely give up the life you knew?"

"Yes."

Maverick met the man's stare, almost challenging him.

"That's all I needed to know, Maverick. And while I still have my reservations, I know Leyah can think for herself." The scientist opened his mouth to continue, but Maverick wasn't having it.

"Before you threaten me, I'll let you know that Leyah can kick my ass. Or wait until she can get a sniper scope on my balls. She can take care of herself and I don't plan on hurting her," Maverick growled. He never took being threatened well.

James huffed out a laugh. "A sniper scope, hm?"

"Yep. She's a good shot. You taught her well."

"Didn't you teach her some things?"

Maverick snorted. "Shit, I didn't even have to show her anything when it came to using a gun. I was more focused on deathclaws and yao guai."

James gave an approving nod. "Good."


	22. Chapter 22

Leyah couldn't sit still.

Maverick and her dad have been gone for some time and she could only imagine how that conversation is going. She knew her dad wasn't keen on the idea of her and Mav. She could tell when he was a little blasé about it in Vault 112. He acted the same way toward Wally when she started dating him.

Back then, it was because Wally ran around with the Tunnel Snakes.

Now…she knew what the problem was. The age gap was an issue, not to mention the fact that people could easily accuse Maverick of using her. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she straightened up her kitchen for the fifth time.

That was the thing though, Maverick never treated her like she was a kid. He treated her as an equal. She kept thinking about how he held her after she got out of Tranquility Lane and her heart skipped a beat. Surely her dad saw _something_ to convince him that Maverick wouldn't hurt her?

If not, she was going to be hell bent on making sure he did.

The sound of the door opening had her hurrying around the corner to see Maverick sitting down on the couch and her dad starting toward the stairs. "Did you drink?" she asked her dad, frowning at the slight wobble in his step.

"No."

She looked at Maverick. "Did he drink?"

"Yes."

She glared up at her dad. James let out a laugh, looking toward Maverick. "You weren't lying, were you?"

"You're a grown man. I shouldn't have to cover your ass," Maverick said, reaching for his shot gun. His cleaning kit was sitting on the coffee table.

Dad laughed again before finally walking up the rest of the stairs.

Leyah shook her head in exasperation. She plopped down next to Maverick on the couch, resting her head against his shoulder. "Well?" she asked softly.

"Well what?"

She gave him a look.

"It went fine, Ley. He just had some questions."

Her heart fluttered at the nickname. Other people have called her that before, but it sounded different coming from him.

"Do you have another bed here?" he suddenly asked.

She shook her head.

"Shit, you can have the couch. I'll—"

"No, you're staying on here too. I know those floors in the vault hurt your back."

He gave her an exasperated look. "I _barely_ got on your dad's good side. I don't want to get my ass tossed back to the bad right away."

Leyah was trying her hardest to keep from laughing. "Not if I can help it. Besides," she nuzzled against his shoulder, "I like sleeping with you. You're warm."

Maverick stared at her for a few moments before huffing out a laugh. "That's all I'm good for? Being a damn bed warmer?"

"Yep. Sad but true."

He couldn't hold back an amused grin.

He finished cleaning his gun before slumping against the back of the couch, throwing an arm around her shoulders. "Well, I guess I should do my job."

Soon, Maverick was lying on the couch and Leyah was on top of him. She couldn't stop giggling at how Maverick's feet hung off the end.

"Vaultie, if you don't stop laughing I'm going to tape your mouth shut so I can sleep."

Feeling mischievous, Leyah moved so she could trail her lips along his jaw. She finally hovered over his mouth. "Then how am I supposed to kiss you?"

"You'll figure something out."

She rolled her eyes and pressed her lips to his, savoring the taste of vodka, cigarettes, and _him._ She shivered as his hands trailed along her back.

His lips moved to where her pulse thrummed and he nibbled at it, causing her to quickly suck in a breath. She buried her fingers in his hair, tilting her head so he had better access. His lips didn't stop there. He trailed them along the column of her throat and he stopped to place suckling kisses along her collarbone.

She pressed her own kisses to the side of his face, just savoring the fact they were both there and things were going right for once. She loved that she wasn't as nervous as she thought she would be with this part of her and Maverick's relationship.

Her skin started to heat up as she pulled him back up for another searing kiss. She moved her legs so they were straddling his thighs and she sighed against his lips. She started to drag her hips across his, swallowing his soft groan.

His strong hands suddenly fell to her hips and he pulled his head back.

"As much as I love all of this attention, I'm not going any further with your dad right up the stairs," he whispered.

Leyah's cheeks warmed and she bit her lip.

Shit, she completely forgot her dad was in her room.

"Whoops," she whispered back.

She felt Maverick's chuckle before she heard it she was pressed against him so closely.

"Go to sleep, Ley."

She moved so she was lying on him again, resting her head against his chest.

His steady heartbeat lulled her to sleep.


	23. Chapter 23

To say that Doctor Li was hysterical would have been an understatement.

She chewed James out for being reckless for about 15 minutes before the man gave her his proposal to work on Project Purity again.

Maverick stood to the side with Leyah, watching the spectacle. Who would have thought he would be roped into helping the project his parents helped protect back in the day?

James finally talked the science team of Rivet City into going over to Project Purity and that was when he and Leyah were roped in.

They scoured every part of the Jefferson Memorial, not finding a thing out of place. Even the super mutants they killed were right where they left them.

"It's safe!" Leyah announced as they stepped outside.

It took a good part of the day to get all of the muties out of building and get everything organized. Maverick was stuck on mutie clearing duty while Leyah helped her dad with technical shit.

He happened to be walking by them and overheard their conversation and it made him stop in his tracks around the corner.

"So what is your plan now, Sweetie? I would like it if you stayed and helped us here."

Leyah's hum of thought barely sounded over the whir of the machines around them. "I don't really know what I want to do, Dad. I honestly wanted to go back to Megaton. I have a house and could do odd jobs around there for a while."

"What about Maverick?"

"What about him?"

James must have just made a look because Leyah sighed.

"Just get it out already," she huffed.

"Sweetie, I trust you and your judgement, but I know how people can be out here. I don't want you to get hurt or used and—"

Leyah just started to laugh and that must have caused James to pause.

"What's so funny?" he demanded.

"The fact you used Maverick and using someone in the same sentence. It's impossible. You know what he did at Springvale before I met him? He took in people and taught them tricks all the time. The other woman who lives in Springvale told me he asks for nothing in return."

James was silent and he sighed.

"And Daddy, he may be an asshole most of the time, but he truly is kind underneath it all. Why else would he take the time to teach people how to fight and survive? Why would he treat ghouls normally even if the Brotherhood hates them? Maverick is one of the most selfless people I know, and that's why I care about him."

Maverick leaned back against the wall as his chest felt tight. Selfless? Him? He never would apply that word to himself, but Leyah's voice was soft and full of something he couldn't recognize and it made him feel giddy inside knowing she thought that way. He grinned and continued down the stairs toward where the next mutie corpse was waiting for him and the others on the science team.

Words couldn't express the feeling he had the rest of the day.

* * *

Leyah was almost lost.

Now that she found her dad, she didn't have a goal. No overpowering purpose out here. Now, she really was just a wanderer. Thankfully, Maverick has been at this for years and he steered her in a direction. "Let's head to Rivet City and see if those caravans brought anything worthwhile before heading back home," he said, frowning down at an old pistol they found and were planning to sell. He grunted and took the mag out before disassembling it with ease.

Leyah still couldn't believe how quickly he was able to scrap something and turn it into something else.

One question burned in her brain after a certain conversation with her dad. He asked her what she would do if Maverick wanted to go back to the Brotherhood. What did she want to do? She didn't take long to come to her decision. She knew that if he wanted to go back, she would gladly follow. She wanted to see him happy again, like the time they ran into the Lyon's Pride. He seemed to carefree and she never saw him smile so much in one go.

To have him be happy all the time would be worth it.

She realized something really important when she woke up from Tranquility Lane. She remembered how happy she felt when Maverick's face was the first one she saw and the way he was looking at her caused her heart to thud against her chest.

She loved him.

He was the first person she wanted to see and the pain she felt from going behind his back to save her dad made her realize it.

It didn't take her until when they were walking out of Vault 112 to put a name to her feelings.

He had casually strolled ahead of her and Dad, shot gun propped on his shoulder and unlit cigarette hanging out of his mouth. Leyah just felt something _shift _inside her as she stared at his broad back. She realized she couldn't imagine life without him now and she would be damned if she didn't let him know.

But how?

They made it to Rivet City after promising her dad to visit as soon as possible. She wandered toward A Quick Fix to sell all of the chems she and Mav found while travelling and Mav headed over to Flak and Shrapnel's. She almost yelped when a woman basically ran into her.

The woman's dark brown eyes widened and she stumbled back from Leyah. "Stay back! You're one of them, aren't you?"

Leyah stared at the woman, bewildered. "One of who? I'm not going to hurt you."

The woman eyed her suspiciously for a moment, biting her lip.

"Why are you so scared?" Leyah asked quietly, stepping closer to her.

The woman pulled Leyah toward her and brought her lips close to her ear. "I'm a runaway slave, and there's a slaver named Sister on this ship and I'm afraid he's after me."

Rage boiled in Leyah's gut at the news. "If I give you 25 caps, you can buy a small gun from Flak and Shrapnel. It will be easy to hide and use if you are ever in danger," Leyah said quietly, understanding why this woman needed as much discretion as possible.

She placed the roll of caps into her hand. "What's your name?"

"Mei. Mei Wong."

"Take care of yourself, Mei."

Leyah turned to go back to her own business, hoping the runaway would be alright, but Mei's hand on her arm stopped her. "If you're interested, there's more people like me in a place north of here. They're the Temple of the Union." She pointed to a spot on Leyah's pip-boy map, which happened to be up. "They could really use an act of kindness right now."

And she walked away.

Dumbfounded, Leyah put a marker on her map.

She managed to sell the chems and Maverick noticed her troubled expression when they met up at the restaurant.

"Alright, who asked for help now?" he grumbled, biting into a mirelurk cake.

Leyah bit her lip and leaned forward across the table. "A runaway slave," she whispered.

Maverick almost choked on his food. "What the shit did they want?" he hissed.

"I gave her some caps so she could buy a gun to protect herself. There's a slaver on this ship."

Maverick's brow furrowed and he cursed colorfully. "It's Sister. I think I saw a part of the slaver tattoo on his wrist."

Leyah nodded grimly. "She knew who he was. And she's watching him."

"And you gave her enough caps for a gun?"

She nodded again.

"Good job, Vaultie. But I have a feeling that's not the only thing she mentioned to you."

Leyah huffed. "And what made you think that?"

"Because people can never ask for just _one_ thing from you. What happened?"

Dammit, he knew her too well. "I'll tell you outside," she said, noticing that Sister was walking into the marketplace.

Luckily, Mei was nowhere to be seen.


End file.
